How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
[Randy] had begun to give orders in the past few days. [...] He had assumed leadership in the tiny community bound together by the water pipes leading from the artesian well. (7.205)
He doesn't realize at it first, but Randy quickly slips into a leadership role among his rag-tag group. On a certain level, it makes a lot of sense. Randy did time in the Korean War, after all, and that experience gives him a deft sense of what to do in tense situations. But could someone else have led more effectively? Or would the group be better served without an established leader at all? Your call.
Quote #5
The sight of Peyton enriched Randy's mornings. She was brash and buoyant, bobbing like a brightly colored cork in the maelstrom, unsinkable and unafraid. (8.8)
This is a great example of the positive effects of community. If Randy were toughing it out alone like some sort of post-apocalyptic action hero, he'd have nothing motivating him to keep fighting for survival. But here he has a whole group of people who rely on him. Plus, he likes them a whole lot. That never hurts.
Quote #6
Randy was conscious that the Henrys supplied more than their own share of food for the benefit of all. When Preacher's corn crop ripened in June, the disparity would be even greater. (8.33)
The Henrys are the single most important cog in the riverside commune's machine. They grow food. They repair machinery. They work harder than anyone else. One could make a negative reading of this relationship: a poor Black family working to support a rich white one, even as society falls apart. We're not sure if we see Randy as exploiting the Henrys, though. What do you think?