How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"No, Bailey, it's okay. You Stay." (16.69)
Stay is capitalized because of the severity of the command. Bailey has to Stay because he is being left behind while Ethan goes away for college. Ethan will be gone for months, leaving his dog behind.
Quote #8
Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, I hoped he was happy. I knew I would never see him again. (18.34)
It's not anyone's fault that the dog feels lonely here. He has learned to accept that life goes on without him—even though, you, he's still alive at this point. It's almost like practice for all the death and reincarnation the dog goes through in this novel.
Quote #9
When I thought about Jakob, I realized that his cold dedication to Find helped me get over my separation from Ethan—there was no time for grieving. I had too much work to do. (22.70)
When some people—and dogs, it appears—feel abandoned, they become workaholics to avoid the grieving process. Can feelings of abandonment be avoided entirely, or must people (and dogs) return to them at some point and confront these feelings?