How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
As a boy I was convinced he loved me. He would rattle his cot and snort merrily when I slipped into the room. He was easily entertained with a song, a toy, a waggle of his toes. If I am thin now, he was always thinner, and when he was happy his scrawny arms would wave like the wings of a chick. He could not talk, but he could gurgle, and he was capable of joy. (7.7)
Vernon loves Gabriel, but it's often tricky to see that since he can't talk or communicate in the ways most people do, and he often throws temper tantrums over little things because he doesn't understand the world the way most people do, either. We can't help but wonder if Gabriel loves his brother back.
Quote #2
Then I ran down the hall, almost skipping. The torturous clouds were gone, I was giggly with glee. I burned with love and pity for Vernon. I had never felt that way. (7.76)
Right before he discovers Vernon has died, Gabriel thinks about how much he loves his brother. But check out the second part of that line: and pity. It's not just love that Vernon feels for his brother, but there's a sense of shame or disappointment in him as well. Is that really love?
Quote #3
He'd loved Surrender from the moment he saw him, and the hound was likewise fonder of Finnigan than he was of anyone else. I knew that, while I was at school, Finnigan and the dog accompanied each other on long patrols of the countryside. (11.4)
A dog is a man's best friend, and that couldn't be truer for both Gabriel and Finnigan. Both of them love Surrender, perhaps more than anyone else in their lives. The dog provides comfort and camaraderie for them, which neither of them gets anywhere else.