How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He put [the house] up on the side of the hill a bit above the barn, and from the front stoop you could see out east across the big swamp, gray and empty-looking in fall, so it seemed to some as if he had built his house on the outside edge of the world and looked off into nothingness. (1.2)
The book makes a big deal about the Breen place being off by itself and about Mr. and Mrs. Breen keeping to themselves. The Breens like it that way, but Tom often thinks it must be lonesome. Why do you think Tom and the Breens have such different attitudes about being isolated? Is it an age thing? A personality thing?
Quote #2
But there she was, a young woman not yet twenty-eight, living alone. In some ways having a man around, even if he is no good, is better than having none. (1.19)
Polly Ann's husband leaves her alone with three small children after five years of marriage. Despite what the text observes here, Polly Ann does just fine without Nob, and later on in the book, she is complimented for having raised a "fine son" (63.28). What do you think? Is it better to have someone around who's no good rather than have no one at all?
Quote #3
Pretty soon Tom learned that [Ox's] real name was Marvin Hubbard. He had two children, grown up and gone from home, and his wife was poorly. When he wasn't in the mill, he spent his time looking after her. Perhaps that was why he got to talking more and more with Tom and pretty soon having his lunch with him, when business didn't interfere. (9.2)
Ox is the first friend Tom makes at the mill. There's a big difference between the two guys, and Ox has had a lot of life experiences that Tom hasn't had yet (duh: he's decades older), but they get along anyway. Ox teaches Tom the ropes at the mill, and Tom becomes someone for Ox to spend time with. There's the sense that Ox was lonely before meeting Tom and that Tom has a special way of making people not feel so lonely.