How we cite our quotes: (Poem.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Even in the wintertime, when the rooms at the Hudson were cold and the window by the bed had frost on it, they sweated beer; and they lay on her so heavily that it was difficult to breathe. [ . . . ] She stared at the stains on the ceiling, and waited until they gave up or fell asleep, and then she rolled out from under them. (XXI.65)
Helen Jean is a minor character, but she illustrates how a young girl from the reservation has so few opportunities to make a living in Gallup that she has to resort to prostitution. Her story sounds really similar to Tayo's mom's, and it probably doesn't have a very happy ending.
Quote #8
A strange paralysis accompanied his thoughts; a sudden overwhelming fatigue took hold, and his heart pounded furiously, and he panted trying to walk only a few feet from the place he had tied the mare. His knees buckled, and he fell into the old pine needles and cones under a tree. This was the end. (XXIV.36)
Even after Betonie's ceremony, Tayo has several setbacks, where he loses confidence in his beliefs and becomes overwhelmed by despair.