Just like. . .

[neo_cortex]

After Eli finishes showing Oscar her/his turning on the end of page 342 and beginning of 343 it says:
Eli kneeled on the floor in front of him, hands pressed against his
stomach.
"Sorry."
Just like. . .
"What happened to Mama?"


What is this

Just like. . .

?

I just can't understand how it fits.

[metoo]

My interpretation is that Eli was holding his hands pressed against his stomach just like his mother used to do.

[neo_cortex]

My interpretation is that Eli was holding his hands pressed against his stomach just like his mother used to do.

Just before that it says:
He freed himself from Eli's arms and sat down in the couch

Eli is not holding Oscar's arms, but pressing his own arms against his stomach, probably because of the tensed situation.
He gets even more tensed a bit later:
Eli's hands squeezed so hard in front of his stomach that the knuckles whitened, his shoulders pulled up.

[metoo]

This part of the text is written from Oskar's point of view, and reflects his thoughts. Thus, Oskar observes Eli standing with his hands pressed agains his stomach, and thinks that's just what Eli's mother used to do. (Oskar had learnt this about about Eli's mother at the previous memory sharing event, in Eli's apartment.) A few paragraphs later Oskar reflects that Eli was a copy of his mother. My interpretation is that Eli not only looked like his mother, but shared (some of) her manners, too.

[neo_cortex]

It's Oskar thinking. Oskar observes Eli standing with his hands pressed agains his stomach, and thinks that's just what Eli's mother used to do. (Oskar had just learnt that about Eli's mother through sharing Eli's memory.) A few paragraphs later Oskar reflects that Eli was a copy of his mother. My interpretation is that Eli not only looked like his mother, but shared (some of) her manners, too.

I misunderstood your initial reply.

This makes sense.

[metoo]

Note that I edited the posting you cited.

[neo_cortex]

I meant I misunderstood this posting:

My interpretation is that Eli was holding his hands pressed against his stomach just like his mother used to do.

When I read your second posting, I re-read the first and saw what you had meant: which is elaborated in the now improved version of the second posting.

And I agree.

"Just like. . ." is Oscar's thought, most probably of how Eli resembles his mother.

Also when I looked at the text again I noticed that "Just like. . ." has the same style (italic on my end) as all other thoughts of Oscar in the same scene.

Thank you for explaining.