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Piper Williams
Seven-year-old Theresa is Moose’s first friend on Alcatraz. She’s immediately accepting of Natalie and wants to make sure Moose is her friend before he befriends anyone else—so she only tells him later that her older brother, Jimmy, is Moose’s age. Theresa is dramatic and possessive, particularly of her baby brother, Rocky. She brings Rocky on the boat to San Francisco to meet Mrs. Capone, and she speaks possessively about “her” baby even before Rocky is born. Theresa has a way with Natalie; she seems to instinctively know what subjects will interest Natalie and often helps provide Natalie with rocks or feathers to go with Natalie’s buttons.
Theresa Mattaman Quotes in Al Capone Does My Shirts
The Al Capone Does My Shirts quotes below are all either spoken by Theresa Mattaman or refer to Theresa Mattaman. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3: Trick Monkey Quotes
Favorite crime: Dinner party of death! Invites lieutenants in his organization known to have double-crossed him to a party. After dessert, Al’s men lock the doors and Capone beats the traitors to death with a baseball bat.
A baseball bat?
Favorite word for murder: “Rub-out”—often in front of many witnesses who then develop “gangster amnesia.”
Sent to jail for: Tax evasion.
Other stuff: Rigged elections. Opened first soup kitchen in Chicago. Likes silk underwear.
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Chapter 19: Daddy’s Little Miss Quotes
“Numbers Nat, we need you!” Theresa interrupts.
Natalie looks up.
Piper hands Nat the money, rolled up in a handkerchief. “Three dollars and twenty cents split four—excuse me.” Piper looks at me. “Three ways.”
“One dollar six cents, two cents left over.” Natalie rocks with pleasure.
“Extra two cents goes to me,” Piper says as Natalie counts out each share.
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Chapter 20: Warning Quotes
We sit with her. Annie and Theresa, Jimmy and me. Keep her company wherever she’s gone.
That is the way my mom finds us when she gets off the boat, her music bag over her shoulder.
[...]
“Get them out of here.” My mom spits the words out.
“Mom, it’s—”
“I won’t have her made a spectacle.”
“It’s really not like that. They like her,” I say.
“NOW, Moose.”
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Chapter 32: The Button Box Quotes
“I know what Mrs. Kelly says. I’m talking about Moose now and what he thinks. He’s good with Natalie. They’ve worked out a relationship. We have to respect that and trust him.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“You have to let him care about her his way.”
And then something I can’t hear.
“I got one child who has everything,” my mom says, “big, strapping, healthy, smart...makes people laugh. Got kids coming over looking for him night and day, just like at home. Little ones, big ones and the girls—they all like Moose. But Natalie, Natalie doesn’t have the whole world looking out for her. She needs me.”
“Moose needs you too.”
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Chapter 33: The Sun and the Moon Quotes
“Me? I’m not going to upset Natalie. She likes me,” Piper says.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my hand on the door.
Piper scoffs. “Can’t I at least say happy birthday?” She looks so earnest, so sincere, smiling her sweet smile. She’s even prettier without her hat.
“How did you know it was her birthday?”
“Theresa told me.”
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Theresa Mattaman Character Timeline in Al Capone Does My Shirts
The timeline below shows where the character Theresa Mattaman appears in Al Capone Does My Shirts. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Errand Boy
...their new neighbors. Moose finally allows Natalie to open the door, revealing a tiny girl (Theresa) with black curly hair and a gap-toothed smile. She marches in, demands to know how...
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...easier for Mom if Natalie is younger than he is. The girl introduces herself as Theresa Mattaman and says she’s going to show Moose and Natalie around. Theresa orders Moose to...
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Chapter 3: Trick Monkey
Moose follows Theresa to the stairs, unable to ignore the looming guard tower. Natalie follows behind, dragging her...
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...at Natalie, whose hands are down—they’re usually up high. The guard in the truck, whom Theresa calls Mr. Trixle, asks if Moose and Natalie are Cam Flanagan’s kids. He then tells...
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...and asks if Natalie is “retarded” or “stupid.” Angrily, Moose says Natalie is neither, and Theresa says this is Piper. Piper continues to ask questions, but Moose hisses that they can’t...
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...but she says that “something is wrong with [Natalie].” Moose shouts at her again, but Theresa whispers that according to Mr. Flanagan, Natalie lives in her own world, and sometimes it’s...
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Chapter 9: Nice Little Church Boy
Theresa is waiting for Moose outside his door and says that Moose is late. She hands...
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...only kind of works. Moose invites him to play catch, but Jimmy is truly terrible. Theresa asks to play with Moose once Jimmy returns to his machine, but she’s also bad....
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Annie says that everyone is going to the party tonight and walks off heavily. Theresa and Jimmy are already gone by now, and the 4:00 bell rings (bells ring every...
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Chapter 12: What About the Electric Chair?
...how early he thinks she can call Mrs. Kelly. On Moose’s way to the boat, Theresa sticks her head out of the Trixles’ door and asks to go with Moose. Bea...
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Chapter 15: Looking for Scarface
...their hiding place. Annie explains that Mrs. Mattaman had a baby boy named Rocky, so Theresa and Jimmy are entertaining their cousins. Piper asks if Mom can watch Natalie, but Moose...
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Chapter 19: Daddy’s Little Miss
...day at school. Moose is writing a letter to Pete after he gets home when Theresa knocks on the door. She tells Moose and Natalie to come: Moose isn’t getting money...
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...Piper’s money is hidden already, but Jimmy and Annie’s piles are still on the dock. Theresa takes off her skates and cries since she can’t find her shoes, while Annie looks...
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...the warden says everyone will be punished as Natalie repeats “one dollar and six cents”—and Theresa explains that’s what they each earned.
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Chapter 20: Warning
...button box, which then spills all over her elaborate grid. Even as Annie, Jimmy, and Theresa help to put the grid back, Natalie curls into a ball and lies down. For...
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...“[g]et them out of here,” meaning the other kids. Moose insists that Annie, Jimmy, and Theresa are here because they like Natalie, but Mom insists she doesn’t want Natalie to be...
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Chapter 21: It Never Rains on Monday
...talk about it. The only thing that keeps Moose going is bowling most afternoons with Theresa and Natalie.
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...that nobody would get in trouble, and she was wrong. Piper just scoffs. Once Jimmy, Theresa, and Annie arrive, Piper says that they’re taking the 9:30 boat on Sunday and returning...
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Chapter 22: Al Capone’s Mama
...Piper—who’s dressed “for charm school” in white and pink—board the 9:30 boat on Sunday morning. Theresa, Jimmy says, isn’t coming, presumably because she can’t bring Rocky. They head for the front...
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...conversation, but Rocky begins to howl again. Ignoring Piper, Mrs. Capone gets up and asks Theresa if she can hold Rocky. Theresa gladly hands him over, clearly unaware that this is...
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...shrieks that she has a gun and is going to break Al Capone out, while Theresa clutches Rocky close. The officer on duty and Mr. Trixle lead Mrs. Capone to a...
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Chapter 25: My Gap
...dress meant for a child—and she looks silly in it. They come across Annie and Theresa at the parade grounds, and Moose refuses an invitation to play. He explains that he’s...
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Chapter 29: Convict Choir Boy
...got close to getting in the cell house with Mrs. Capone; the guards could’ve asked Theresa or Jimmy to translate. Moose insists that’s not true.
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Chapter 30: Eye
Outside the door, Bea Trixle, Mrs. Caconi, and Theresa appear. They bang on the door and offer to help. Moose has his arms around...
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Chapter 34: Happy Birthday
...party starts and Piper comes to tell him to join the party. Natalie starts saying, “Theresa” as Piper notices the “10” frosted on Natalie’s cake. When Natalie says, “Theresa here,” Mom...
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Theresa answers the door in her pajamas, says that she and Natalie are friends so obviously...
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A short while later, Dad tells Moose to walk his “harem” home. They drop Theresa and Jimmy off first, and then Annie. Moose and Piper continue up the hill to...
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Chapter 36: Waiting
Mom won’t say anything to Moose the next morning. When Moose gets home later, Theresa is there and Mom is grinning: Natalie was amazing and even told a joke. Mom...
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Chapter 38: What Happened?
The next day, Moose tells Annie and Theresa about asking the warden for Al Capone’s help. They’re not surprised the warden refused, and...
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Chapter 39: The Warden
...day of school. He feels awful—until he gets off the boat and sees his parents, Theresa, Natalie, and the warden. Piper doesn’t know what’s going on either, but she seems anxious....
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