Educated

by

Tara Westover

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Richard Westover Character Analysis

One of Tara’s older brothers. Richard pursues an education and marries a woman named Kami—together they live a “mainstream” life, remaining loyal to the Mormon faith but abandoning the constricting and isolating traditions the Westovers have long clung to. Tara notes the internal struggle Richard seems to go through every time he comes home to Buck’s Peak with Kami—he doesn’t want to rock the boat with Gene by denouncing the man’s ludicrous ideas about the Illuminati and the evil of all doctors and teachers, but neither does he want to offend or alienate his wife. Though Richard does not support Tara in a pivotal moment of need, he eventually apologizes and tells Tara that she can always count on his support, confidence, and belief in her.

Richard Westover Quotes in Educated

The Educated quotes below are all either spoken by Richard Westover or refer to Richard Westover. 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:
Memory, History, and Subjectivity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 7 Quotes

Since the writing of [the story of Luke’s burn,] I have spoken to Luke about the incident. His account differs from both mine and Richard’s. In Luke’s memory, Dad took Luke to the house, administered a homeopathic for shock, then put him in a tub of cold water, where he left him to go fight the fire. This goes against my memory, and against Richard’s. Still, perhaps our memories are in error. Perhaps I found Luke in a tub, alone, rather than on the grass. What everyone agrees upon, strangely, is that somehow Luke ended up on the front lawn, his leg in a garbage can.

Related Characters: Tara Westover (speaker), Gene Westover / Dad, Richard Westover, Luke Westover
Page Number: 75
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“Shouldn’t we drive slower?” Mother asks.

Dad grins. “I’m not driving faster than our angels can fly.” The van is still accelerating. To fifty, then to sixty.

Richard sits tensely, his hand clutching the armrest, his knuckles bleaching each time the tires slip. Mother lies on her side, her face next to mine, taking small sips of air each time the van fishtails, then holding her breath as Dad corrects and it snakes back into the lane. She is so rigid, I think she might shatter. My body tenses with hers; together we brace a hundred times for impact.

It is a relief when the van finally leaves the road.

Related Characters: Tara Westover (speaker), Gene Westover / Dad (speaker), Faye Westover / Mother (speaker), Richard Westover
Page Number: 93-94
Explanation and Analysis:
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Richard Westover Quotes in Educated

The Educated quotes below are all either spoken by Richard Westover or refer to Richard Westover. 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:
Memory, History, and Subjectivity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 7 Quotes

Since the writing of [the story of Luke’s burn,] I have spoken to Luke about the incident. His account differs from both mine and Richard’s. In Luke’s memory, Dad took Luke to the house, administered a homeopathic for shock, then put him in a tub of cold water, where he left him to go fight the fire. This goes against my memory, and against Richard’s. Still, perhaps our memories are in error. Perhaps I found Luke in a tub, alone, rather than on the grass. What everyone agrees upon, strangely, is that somehow Luke ended up on the front lawn, his leg in a garbage can.

Related Characters: Tara Westover (speaker), Gene Westover / Dad, Richard Westover, Luke Westover
Page Number: 75
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“Shouldn’t we drive slower?” Mother asks.

Dad grins. “I’m not driving faster than our angels can fly.” The van is still accelerating. To fifty, then to sixty.

Richard sits tensely, his hand clutching the armrest, his knuckles bleaching each time the tires slip. Mother lies on her side, her face next to mine, taking small sips of air each time the van fishtails, then holding her breath as Dad corrects and it snakes back into the lane. She is so rigid, I think she might shatter. My body tenses with hers; together we brace a hundred times for impact.

It is a relief when the van finally leaves the road.

Related Characters: Tara Westover (speaker), Gene Westover / Dad (speaker), Faye Westover / Mother (speaker), Richard Westover
Page Number: 93-94
Explanation and Analysis: