How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
The Zodiac is very real to me. To her it is not even a memory, it is only some decaying buildings and a boarded-up entrance. (7.7.21)
Although Shelly's family history is tied to the Zodiac Mines, she has a much different relationship to them than Lyman does. For Lyman, they gave him access to a privileged lifestyle that he still enjoys today; for Shelly, however, they're just another meaningless piece of historical trivia.
Quote #8
Why then am I spending all this effort trying to understand my grandparents' lives? What am I talking and organizing all this for? (7.7.46)
That's the million-dollar question. So, is Lyman trying to make a point about the reality of life in the early West? Is he trying to make sense of his own failed marriage? Or, is he simply trying to honor his grandparents' memory in the best way he knows? Honestly, we'll go with all of the above.
Quote #9
How would I explain, if I were susceptible to Shelly's truth parties, or even if I were writing a book about myself instead of about my grandmother, my relations with Ellen Ward. (7.7.50)
With this, Lyman finally comes clean: he's been studying his grandparents' relationship in the hopes of figuring out what went wrong in his own marriage. Of course, the later revelation that this seemingly perfect marriage was actually quite imperfect shatters these romantic notions in an instant. It's almost as if relationships have always been difficult. Crazy, we know.