How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I'm having a rough time with Andy. I think it's because he lost his best friend and it's hard for him to get over the guilt and the pain. He once told me that his life had lost its meaning. (26.5)
Keisha's essay shares facts about Andy with us that we don't hear him say directly—her insights show us just how down and out he really is. Andy doesn't only want to kill himself at the end; he talks about death throughout the entire novel, foreshadowing what he's about to do.
Quote #8
Remember right after the accident when we realized we wasn't going to die? In spite of all that noise and fire and death, we looked at each other, and real quick like, we smiled. You know why? Cause we were alive. And we were glad. (44.1)
Tyrone's letter to Andy reminds us that they were once glad to be alive. Making it out of the accident was a big deal for them, but Andy only thought about the pain he felt afterward. Now if only Andy could somehow get this letter…
Quote #9
You can't be dead. But I went to your funeral. I felt your coffin. It was warm and woody, but you couldn't have been in it. I wanted to open it, to knock and call out your name, but I didn't dare. I went to the cemetery. I kept thinking, Everybody here is dead… they're all dead! Thousands and thousands of dead people—people who would never come back. And then I really did call out your name, and I finally cried. I wept for you—because you weren't supposed to be with all these dead people, because you can't, you just can't be dead. (44.14)
Keisha's letter is a lot tougher. She's hard on Andy for taking his life because she was there for him when no one else was. She points out how gut-wrenching the funeral experience was for her, and shines light on the fact that death isn't an escape; it's messy and tough to deal with.