How we cite our quotes: (Section.Paragraph)
Quote #1
She married Jake and had a son and daughter, but the daughter died (2.1)
Mrs. Grimes is already well-acquainted with death. It's important to note that her daughter dies (as opposed to her son), as gender plays heavily into the novel's themes.
Quote #2
The butcher was alone in his shop when she came in and was annoyed by the thought of such a sick-looking old woman out on such a day (2.13)
Although the butcher is actually nice to Mrs. Grimes, the fact that he's "annoyed" is telling. It's almost as if he knows that she's dying but doesn't want to deal with it. A pretty depressing thought.
Quote #3
The running of the dogs may have been a kind of death ceremony. It may have been that the primitive instinct of the wolf [...] made them somehow afraid (3.13)
The dogs are closer to the natural world, which makes them closer to the reality of death. They don't fear it, like we do—they know that it's just one step in the circle of life.