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“Absolutely,” I said, wondering how Teddy could care so much for his dad when his dad had practically killed him.
In this quotation, Gordie agrees with his friends that insulting someone’s father crosses an unforgivable line, all the while not quite understanding this perspective. Gordie notes a disconnect between the actual harm Teddy’s father has caused him and the deep love and loyalty Teddy nevertheless shows his father. This loyalty continues to harm Teddy by encouraging him toward reckless and dangerous behavior, as if proving his toughness will impress his father.
Those stories you tell, they’re no good to anybody but you, Gordie. If you go along with us just because you don’t want the gang to break up, you’ll wind up just another grunt, makin C’s to get on the teams.
Chris makes this comment to Gordie after Gordie insists that he won’t take advanced classes if it means leaving his friends behind. Chris is upset because he believes Gordie has misplaced his loyalty with friends who will keep him from pursuing his dreams of being a writer. In Castle Rock, many boys, including Chris and Vern’s brothers, drop out of high school, become juvenile delinquents, and end up doing millwork for the rest of their lives. Because Chris believes this is the trajectory that he, Vern, and Teddy are on, he worries that Gordie is going to follow them instead of focusing on his dreams.
