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Theo’s dad died sometime before the novel begins. Theo doesn’t talk about him much, but he does share with Jessie that his dad ran 12 miles per day and still died of lung cancer. Theo’s dad was also extremely supportive of his son and made it clear from the beginning that being gay was nothing Theo needed to be ashamed of—and because of this, he and Theo were extremely close. He was a fan of abstract art; he chose the pieces that hang in Jessie’s room.
Theo’s Dad Quotes in Tell Me Three Things
The Tell Me Three Things quotes below are all either spoken by Theo’s Dad or refer to Theo’s Dad. 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 5 Quotes
“My dad died of lung cancer,” Theo says, apropos of nothing, and takes another long hit. “That’s why I smoke. Figure if you can run twelve miles a day and get cancer anyway, I might as well live it up.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I know, right?” Theo puts out the joint, carefully saves what’s left for later. He stands up and looks me straight in the eye. No trace of his temper tantrum left. “Hey, for what it’s worth, I’m really sorry about your mom.”
“Thanks,” I say. “Sorry about your dad.”
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Chapter 24 Quotes
There aren’t pictures of him around, which would be weird, but then I realize there aren’t very many pictures at all. [...]
The walls of my old house were covered with pictures of my family. Each of my school photos were framed and mounted in chronological order, even the ones where I was caught with my eyes closed [...]
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Chapter 33 Quotes
This is a house full of pain, of bad juju, as Theo said, but it’s also a house of starting over. Maybe we need to light a few candles. Better yet, start putting things on all of the white walls. “You know, I mean, this place is beautiful, but maybe you should put out some pictures too. Of your husband—I mean your, uh, other husband, Theo’s dad, and of Theo as a kid. So he can remember.”
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Theo’s Dad Character Timeline in Tell Me Three Things
The timeline below shows where the character Theo’s Dad appears in Tell Me Three Things. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5
Later, Jessie sits on the deck and wonders if Theo, Rachel, and Theo’s dad all sat down to dinner before their lives changed. Theo slumps down next to Jessie,...
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Unprompted, Theo says Theo’s dad died of lung cancer. This is why Theo smokes; he figures he should live it...
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Chapter 17
...that no one from her school in Chicago ever got into Harvard. When Theo says his dad went to Harvard, Jessie laughs and points out that he’s a legacy. Theo offers to...
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Chapter 24
...called him a “faggot” when he was little. He had no idea what it meant; Theo’s dad explained it to him that night and made it clear that there was nothing wrong...
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Chapter 33
...photo. Jessie notices that Rachel took down the paintings. Rachel apologizes for leaving them up; Theo’s dad chose them. She says that Jessie should put up whatever she wants and that Jessie...
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