How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I knew I would fly. My body would drop like a sack […] but I would rise, the part of me which spoke and thought and had its glimpses of the landscape of my Being. (1.19)
We're pretty sure that the word Rojack is looking for here is soul. At this point in the novel, Rojack's superstitious beliefs seem to be devolving into downright madness—don't forget, he's only thinking about suicide because he thinks the moon is talking to him. Eek.
Quote #5
She had powers, my Deborah, she was psychic to the worst degree, and she had the power to lay a curse. (1.61)
Although we are initially tempted to just laugh at this, it quickly becomes clear that Deborah does have some sort of magical power. This actually happens a lot—Rojack will talk about some supernatural occurrence that seems fake, but it always turns out be true. The world of An American Dream is not a rational place.
Quote #6
When she had been pregnant, grace had come to her again. "I don't think God is so annoyed at me any more," she said. (2.9)
Deborah's brand of superstition is rooted in Catholicism. This influences Rojack a great deal, as he later becomes obsessed with the idea of the battle between God and Devil. Regardless, if Deborah interpreted her pregnancy as an example of God's grace, then we can't imagine how she interpreted the subsequent miscarriage.