How we cite our quotes: (Section.Paragraph)
Quote #1
As she closed the door, her sobs began; he could hear them for a long time, mixed with the sound of the rain. (8.7)
Pedro's first run-in with suffering is watching his mother mourn the death of her father. From then on sobbing women will be a constant in his life… and his death.
Quote #2
"Then it must be my sixth sense. A gift God gave me—or maybe a curse. All I know is that I've suffered because of it." (11.11)
Eduviges can feel and hear ghosts around her, and this sense has caused her a lot of pain. Even so, she's unable to say whether it is a gift or a curse.
Quote #3
"Young Miguel is dead. Don Pedro wants your company."
"I already knew," I told him. "Did they tell you to cry?"
"Yes. Don Fulgor told me to cry when I told you." (11.21-23)
Suffering in this situation is more a behavior than a feeling—crying is a mandatory activity when Miguel dies. Probably because no one in their right mind would actually shed tears over the death of this dirtbag.
Quote #4
"I think the animal is suffering more than don Pedro. He hasn't eaten or slept, and all he does is chase around in circles. Like he knows, you know? Like he feels all broken and chewed up inside." (11.25)
Pedro seems unable to feel suffering for his son's death, and the contrast of his reaction with the horse's reaction makes him look all the more monstrous. Hmm. Maybe Miguel the monster had a soft spot for his pony?
Quote #5
And then as if her coiled grief had suddenly burst free, she turned and turned in a tight circle until hands grasped her shoulders and stopped the spiraling of her tortured body. (12.10)
When Pedro's own father is murdered, his mother's suffering becomes physical, totally taking over her body. She turns around and around like a dog looking for a comfy place to sit, and her poor son watches all of it.
Quote #6
He walked to the sacristy, threw himself into a corner, and sat there weeping with grief and sorrow until his tears were exhausted. (13.18)
Even though the priest gets a lot of flack for not doing more to help people in his congregation, he too suffers because he feels powerless to stand up to the Páramo family.
Quote #7
"She died of her sorrows. And sorrow… You once told us something about sorrow that I can't remember now. It was because of her sorrows that she went away. And died choking on her own blood. I can still see how she looked. That face was the saddest face I have ever seen on a human." (16.9)
Eduviges commits suicide, and her sister tries to get the priest to forgive her for it since she was suffering so much before finally dying. This is not a good enough excuse, though, and her unpardoned soul must continue to suffer even after her death.
Quote #8
"I wouldn't mention it except that when I see him tossing in his sleep like that I remember what happened to me the first time you did it to me. How it hurt, and how bad I felt about doing it." (30.27)
Donis' sister relates to Juan Preciado's suffering because she says she has felt the same way. In a way, suffering is what keeps the community together in Comala, because everyone has experienced it.
Quote #9
"And to top it all off, everyone was leaving the village; all the people set out for somewhere else and took their charity with them. I sat down to wait for death." (36.14)
Dorotea, the madwoman, depends upon others for survival. When the town's population begins to dwindle, her suffering increases as she's left alone. Aww. All Dorotea needs is a little help.