Patron Saints of Nothing

Patron Saints of Nothing

by

Randy Ribay

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Jay’s Mom Character Analysis

Jay’s mom (Jay’s dad’s wife) is the mother of Jay, Emily, and Chris. She spent some time living in the Philippines with Jay’s dad, but the family moved to Michigan when Jay was one (at Jay’s dad’s urging). She now works as an oncologist in the same hospital as Jay’s dad. Jay’s mom grew up in America and is white, so she can’t fully understand Jay’s situation. At the beginning of the novel, Jay begs his mother to tell him how Jun died, because his father is tight-lipped about even the cause of death. She eventually relents and explains the political situation in the Philippines, including the drug war, which is why Jun was murdered. However, she insists that Jay can’t fully understand what’s going on in the Philippines. Jay later asks his mom and his dad to allow him to travel to the Philippines alone, and his mom agrees, not realizing that Jay wants to solve Jun’s murder. Jay’s mom clearly cares a great deal about her son and wants Jay’s dad to open up to Jay more. This does end up happening at the end of the novel, though it’s because Jay decides to share his feelings with his dad and has little to do with Jay’s mom’s urging.

Jay’s Mom Quotes in Patron Saints of Nothing

The Patron Saints of Nothing quotes below are all either spoken by Jay’s Mom or refer to Jay’s Mom. 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:
Truth, Adolescence, and Justice Theme Icon
).
Prologue Quotes

At that point in my life, I had encountered death only in fiction. I had heard about other people’s relatives dying. But I had never seen death up close. I had never held it.

“Listen,” Mom said in that moment, hugging me closer. So I did. Baby birds chirped just outside the window. “One thing dies, and another is born. Maybe the puppy’s soul now has wings.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Mom (speaker)
Page Number: XV-XVI
Explanation and Analysis:
An Improvement to Society Quotes

“Do you lie to your patients?” I ask.

She raises her eyebrows. “Not to my patients, but sometimes to their families, yes.”

“You serious?”

She nods. “Sometimes my patients want me to lie for them. Nothing out of line. Mostly they want me to say something in a way that will give their loved ones relief. Or at least, something that won't leave them with too much despair.”

I shake my head. Unbelievable.

“If I have a patient who is dying slowly and painfully, and he asks me to tell his family that he won't suffer in his final moments, what am I supposed to do?”

“If they ask, tell the truth.”

“Even if the truth does nothing but cause the family anguish?”

“They deserve to know.”

“Or do they deserve peace?”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Mom (speaker)
Page Number: 22
Explanation and Analysis:

She takes a deep breath. “Jay, it's easy for us to pass judgment. But we don't live there anymore, so we can't grasp the extent to which drugs have affected the country.”

[…]

“So I'm not allowed to have an opinion? To say it's wrong or inhumane?”

[…]

“That's not what I'm saying, Jay.”

“What are you saying?”

“That you need to make sure that opinion is an informed one.”

There's obviously no way to argue that point without sounding like an idiot, but knowing that doesn't dissolve my newfound anger. “So what's your informed opinion?”

“That it's not my place to say what's right or wrong in a country that's not mine.”

“But you lived there. You're married to a Filipino. You have Filipino children.”

“Filipino American children,” she corrects. “And it's not the same.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Mom (speaker), Jay’s Dad
Page Number: 25-26
Explanation and Analysis:
That Last Part Aloud Quotes

Since he already knows, I may as well ask about the contents of the note on the back of the list I found in his desk, about how he told his subordinate who located Jun to proceed. But I feel drained, lost. A compass missing its needle. What would be the point when I can't sense whether anything he says is truthful or not?

Tito Maning reaches the car and turns to me. “I am disappointed my brother did not teach you to respect your elders.”

He expects an apology. I stay quiet.

“You do not live here. You do not speak any of our languages. You do not know our history. Your mother is a white American. Yet, you presume to speak to me as if you knew anything about me, as if you knew anything about my son, as if you knew anything about this country.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Tito Maning (speaker), Jun, Jay’s Mom
Page Number: 159-160
Explanation and Analysis:
New Life Quotes

I nod and let my graze drift upward. A bird flits across the rafters to a nest high in the corner. It reminds me of when I heard the baby birds chirping outside the window the day that the puppy died in my hands. What was it Mom told me in that moment? Something about death making way for new life. But what new life has come from Jun's death? I don’t know.

I imagine souls trapped overhead, bouncing against the steepled ceiling like invisible balloons whose strings have slipped from careless hands.

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jun, Jay’s Mom
Page Number: 284-285
Explanation and Analysis:
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Jay’s Mom Quotes in Patron Saints of Nothing

The Patron Saints of Nothing quotes below are all either spoken by Jay’s Mom or refer to Jay’s Mom. 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:
Truth, Adolescence, and Justice Theme Icon
).
Prologue Quotes

At that point in my life, I had encountered death only in fiction. I had heard about other people’s relatives dying. But I had never seen death up close. I had never held it.

“Listen,” Mom said in that moment, hugging me closer. So I did. Baby birds chirped just outside the window. “One thing dies, and another is born. Maybe the puppy’s soul now has wings.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Mom (speaker)
Page Number: XV-XVI
Explanation and Analysis:
An Improvement to Society Quotes

“Do you lie to your patients?” I ask.

She raises her eyebrows. “Not to my patients, but sometimes to their families, yes.”

“You serious?”

She nods. “Sometimes my patients want me to lie for them. Nothing out of line. Mostly they want me to say something in a way that will give their loved ones relief. Or at least, something that won't leave them with too much despair.”

I shake my head. Unbelievable.

“If I have a patient who is dying slowly and painfully, and he asks me to tell his family that he won't suffer in his final moments, what am I supposed to do?”

“If they ask, tell the truth.”

“Even if the truth does nothing but cause the family anguish?”

“They deserve to know.”

“Or do they deserve peace?”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Mom (speaker)
Page Number: 22
Explanation and Analysis:

She takes a deep breath. “Jay, it's easy for us to pass judgment. But we don't live there anymore, so we can't grasp the extent to which drugs have affected the country.”

[…]

“So I'm not allowed to have an opinion? To say it's wrong or inhumane?”

[…]

“That's not what I'm saying, Jay.”

“What are you saying?”

“That you need to make sure that opinion is an informed one.”

There's obviously no way to argue that point without sounding like an idiot, but knowing that doesn't dissolve my newfound anger. “So what's your informed opinion?”

“That it's not my place to say what's right or wrong in a country that's not mine.”

“But you lived there. You're married to a Filipino. You have Filipino children.”

“Filipino American children,” she corrects. “And it's not the same.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jay’s Mom (speaker), Jay’s Dad
Page Number: 25-26
Explanation and Analysis:
That Last Part Aloud Quotes

Since he already knows, I may as well ask about the contents of the note on the back of the list I found in his desk, about how he told his subordinate who located Jun to proceed. But I feel drained, lost. A compass missing its needle. What would be the point when I can't sense whether anything he says is truthful or not?

Tito Maning reaches the car and turns to me. “I am disappointed my brother did not teach you to respect your elders.”

He expects an apology. I stay quiet.

“You do not live here. You do not speak any of our languages. You do not know our history. Your mother is a white American. Yet, you presume to speak to me as if you knew anything about me, as if you knew anything about my son, as if you knew anything about this country.”

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Tito Maning (speaker), Jun, Jay’s Mom
Page Number: 159-160
Explanation and Analysis:
New Life Quotes

I nod and let my graze drift upward. A bird flits across the rafters to a nest high in the corner. It reminds me of when I heard the baby birds chirping outside the window the day that the puppy died in my hands. What was it Mom told me in that moment? Something about death making way for new life. But what new life has come from Jun's death? I don’t know.

I imagine souls trapped overhead, bouncing against the steepled ceiling like invisible balloons whose strings have slipped from careless hands.

Related Characters: Jay Reguero (speaker), Jun, Jay’s Mom
Page Number: 284-285
Explanation and Analysis: