How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
But he had never seen human carnage like this, fresh in the wake of attack. Glass was shredded from head to foot. His scalp lay dangling to one side (1.3.27)
There aren't enough cuss words in existence to express the gruesomeness of this scene. Should we just make some up? Florp! Zoop-a-doop! Blarping boof! Now that we've gotten that out our system, please excuse us—we've got a hot date with the nearest barf bag.
Quote #2
In fact, so great was Glass's suffering that Henry wondered briefly whether they should put a bullet in his head, bring his misery to an end. (1.4.35)
Although Captain Henry makes every effort to save Glass's life, even putting his men at risk so they can drag Glass's body with them, he considers killing him out of mercy. If that doesn't show you the extent of Glass's suffering, then we don't know what will.
Quote #3
He slipped between consciousness, unconsciousness, and a confusing state in between, aware of his surroundings like random pages of a book. (1.7.7)
Glass isn't in all that much pain following the bear attack. Sure, it hurt like Hades when it was happening, but his body pretty much went numb halfway through. Still, we see here that the psychological and mental effects of the attack can be just as disorienting.
Quote #4
His jaw set [...] and he felt again the visceral desire to strike out in pursuit. This time though, he also felt the weakness of his body. (1.7.29)
After being abandoned by Fitzgerald and Bridger, Glass's first thought is to get some sweet, sweet revenge. Good plan. There's just one problem, however: Glass was just—uh, you know—attacked by a giant bear. That kind of thing tends to take its toll on the body, wouldn't you think?
Quote #5
He was right—the thicker bone still contained the greenish marrow. In hindsight, he should have known not to eat it by the smell, but his huger robbed him of reason. (1.9.5)
Sometimes suffering can be useful, like when it teaches you a lesson. And what type of lesson, you ask? Well, lessons like "don't eat clearly rotten bone marrow, or you'll end up buying yourself a one-way-ticket to vomit town." That's a pretty good one, if you ask us—and not one Glass will soon forget.
Quote #6
With the new crutch, he hoped to make ten or even fifteen miles the next day. Still, something drew him to linger in the fleeting moment of contentment—sated, rested, and warm. (1.10.51)
After getting some rest, healing up, and stealing a buffalo corpse from a band of wolves (long story), Glass finally feels something that resembles peace. It's like a breath of fresh air. Although his ordeal is still far from over, this moment of relaxation feels like a million bucks after the suffering he's endured over the past several weeks.
Quote #7
He stared at the knife in his chest. [...] It was Glass's knife. In some ways it was a relief to die, he thought, easier than living with his guilt. (1.12.27)
We'd like to take a break from your regularly scheduled themes to present a different sort of suffering: emotional suffering. Wracked by guilt for leaving Glass to die, Bridger starts to experience some serious inner turmoil—so serious, in fact, that he begins believing that he deserves a brutal end at Glass's hands.
Quote #8
He filled the cup three times before the old woman stopped eating and fell asleep. He adjusted the blanket to cover her bony shoulders. (1.13.15)
Glass cooking a meal for the old, blind woman in the Arikara village is an important moment for many reasons. Not only does it show that Glass is a fundamentally good dude (we're pretty sure that Fitzgerald wouldn't have acted in the same way), but it also reveals that he holds a great deal of compassion for anyone who suffers. Remember that.
Quote #9
The astringent ignited the most intense pain that Glass had ever felt, like molten iron in a mold of human flesh. (1.13.42)
More intense than a bear attack? A wolf bite? A gunshot? That's saying something. Still, the Sioux medicine man's painful treatment means that Glass's physical suffering is finally nearing its end.
Quote #10
Bridger looked back at Glass, and in his eyes, Glass saw not malice, but fear; not resistance but resignation. (2.21.92)
What's more, Glass sees that Bridger has been suffering from his guilt. That's a big deal. As with the old Arikara woman, Glass shows mercy to someone who should be his enemy simply because that person is in need. That's a powerful thing.