How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
But Shep didn't come back, and a few nights after his disappearance Jethro was awakened by the smell of smoke and the crackle of burning hay and wood When he ran to the door he saw the barn enveloped in flames that leaped far into the sky; hay, grain, wagon, harnesses, and plows were feeding them, and they were hungry. There was one condition that must have been a matter of chagrin for the arsonists—all the farm animals were turned out to pasture during the summer nights and so escaped a fiery death. (6.146)
At least the men who started the fire have a shred of decency in not killing defenseless animals. PETA would be proud. However it's still quite a statement that the hooligans responsible respect animal life more than they respect human life.
Quote #5
"[…] I mind that Tom put his arm 'long side my shoulders, and he was sayin', 'Look at 'em come, Danny; bless ol' Buell, he's fin'ly made it.' Them was his last words. He—he didn't suffer; he never knowed what happened." (7.11)
If you had to choose how to go, you might as well choose not to suffer. And Tom's death is very Of Mice and Men-ish, without the whole being killed by his best friend bit. Do you think that knowing Tom didn't suffer at all brought any comfort to Ellen and Matt?
Quote #6
Then she turned to the pages where the family names were written in a long column with places to the right for dates of birth, marriage, and death. She dipped a pen in ink and carried it and the Bible to her father.
Matt shook his head. "You write a better hand than I do, Jenny; you set down the date and place for me. I've done it so often—too many times." (7.18-19)
Poor Matt Creighton. If anyone's keeping count, Tom makes the fifth child that Matt and Ellen have lost. And out of twelve children originally, that's a little too close to fifty percent for anyone's comfort. We can understand why Matt wants Jenny to fill-in Tom's death—not having good handwriting is just a weak cover story.