How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He shivered uncontrollably, but Narnie held him close. "Narnie," he sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Shhh, Fitz."
"Forgive me, please. Please. Please. Please. Please."
The words were pouring out of him, soaked with tears and phlegm and spit and blood, as she continued rocking him, while Jude held onto them both. (19.66-69)
Whoa. There's a lot about this devastating scene we could look at, but perhaps the most powerful thing is that Narnie chooses to show compassion on Fitz when she learns the news of Webb's death. Rather then cast him out and rebuke him, though, she and Jude hold him and grieve with him.
Quote #2
He told me it was one of the best days of his life and then he took out his gun. A .22 rifle. And he leaned forward and whispered, "Forgive me, Taylor Markham." Before I could ask him how he knew my name and what I was to forgive him for, he said, "Take care of my little girl." (19.74)
While a lot of characters in this book are dealing with forgiveness of others, Fitz seems to struggle with being able to forgive himself for Webb's death. It's possible that he was able to forget the pain for a while when his wife was alive, but her absence probably gives him too much time to think about things. Think about this: Fitz's grief and self-loathing were so great that he killed himself even though it meant leaving his own daughter. Now that's serious suffering.
Quote #3
"Do you want to know the worst part?" he asks. I can tell this is so hard for him because he won't look at us. "Sometimes I forget just how bad he was, so all I can remember is that he's dead because of me." (21.42)
We totally get that Jonah has mixed emotions about his dad being gone. On one hand, the guy was abusive and a real creep, but in Jonah's eyes, it's still his fault his dad's dead. The grief of losing a parent combined with the guilt and knowledge that he's responsible has to just make things worse for Jonah.