How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
The fact is, I don't know. He is the silent character in this cast, he [...] left no novels, stories or reminiscences to speak for him. (4.2.210)
The fact that Susan Ward wrote so many letters and stories makes it a lot easier for Lyman to write his book. But what about good ol' granddad? Given that Oliver was a steadfastly silent man in life, it only makes sense that he's equally silent in death.
Quote #5
She did not have to come at her grandparents, as I do, through a time machine. Her own life and that of the grandfather [...] showed her similar figures in an identical landscape. (4.7.10)
It seems like time moved a lot more slowly back in the good old days. Before Susan left to go west, her family lived in the same house, in the same town, for generations. As a result, she was extremely connected with the lives of her ancestors. For Lyman, however, this is a much more difficult prospect—the world has changed a lot in the hundred-some years since his grandparents first left their homes.
Quote #6
It doesn't much matter what year they were written in; those years were cyclic, not chronological. (7.4.1)
See what we mean about time being different back then? These pioneers didn't have calendar apps to manage their hectic schedules or Facebook to store pictures for posterity. All they had were their memories.