Gilead Family Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Letter.Section.Paragraph)

Quote #7

But his family was so well respected that he got away with it all. That is to say, he was allowed to go right in disgracing his family. (1.15.132)

Jack may have gotten away with his youthful bad antics, but there were always consequences, even if he couldn't see them. He couldn't see that he hurt his family, for example. He certainly feels somewhat responsible for his daughter's death, at any rate.

Quote #8

John Ames Boughton is my son. If there is any truth at all in anything I believe, that is true also. By "my son" I mean another self, a more cherished self. That language isn't sufficient, but for the moment it is the best I can do. (1.16.3)

Jack—John Ames—Boughton was named for Ames, but Ames has never taken to him, never liked him, never trusted him. This is the moment when Ames can finally embrace Jack as a son—when he first knows what it means to love him.

Quote #9

"We are married in the eyes of God, as they say." (2.21.24)

Jack is married by common law, not civil law. He and Della present themselves as husband and wife, but they're not legally married. Nor can they marry, in some states, due to laws against interracial marriages.