How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph
Quote #1
She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, as if death were too final a punctuation. (2.47)
At the beginning of the story, Gemma is about to die. Becca can't even bring herself to face the word "death," much less the idea of a world in which Gemma is gone. Sure, lots of folks avoid talking about death, but in this novel, it's just the first sign of a whole lot of avoiding that the characters just can't seem to shake.
Quote #2
Sylvia held up her hand, the one with the watch, as if that added force to her argument. She was clearly uncomfortable, almost afraid. (2.48)
Many of the characters have a hard time facing the death and destruction of the Holocaust. But as it turns out, facing a regular death—like Gemma's—isn't easy either. Sylvia here seems a little panicky, don't you think?