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Who is Patty in "Rumble Fish" and why is she mad at Rusty-James?

Quick answer:

Patty, Rusty-James's girlfriend in "Rumble Fish," is mad at him because he cheated on her at a party. After discovering his infidelity, she breaks up with him and starts dating his friend Smokey. Patty is a strong-willed young woman who cares for her younger brothers while their mother works night shifts, and she is characterized by her jealousy and determination.

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Patty is Rusty-James's girlfriend. She is an older sister to some brothers, and she frequently has to stay at home to take care of those kids because her mother is a nurse that works the night shift. Rumble Fish is a fairly violent book, and it's clear that Patty is nothing like Cherry from The Outsiders. Patty once, with a broken bottle in her hand, went after some other girl that was overly friendly with Rusty-James. Patty is definitely the jealous type. She also isn't afraid to walk away from a relationship either. The reason that she is so mad at Rusty-James is because he went to a party, and he cheated on her with some other girl. Patty's mad at Rusty-James, and she breaks up with him. Additionally, she starts dating Rusty-James's friend Smokey. This could be out of spite and an attempt to make Rusty-James angry or jealous, but it doesn't work.

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