How we cite our quotes: (Letter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"I never did forgive myself not going out there to look for him." (1.7.123)
Ames's father could have gone looking for the soldier his own father had shot, and he might have saved the soldier's life by doing so. He regrets this "sin of omission" (that's a sin you commit by not doing something).
Quote #8
There is never just one transgression. There is a wound in the flesh of human life that scars when it heals and often enough never seems to heal at all. (1.8.20)
Here, sin is visualized not as a transgression but as a wound. In other words, we do sinful things because we are broken, not because we're naturally bad. A wound calls for healing, not punishment.
Quote #9
"…the hotel clerk where we got a room charged me a good deal extra for turning a blind eye, or words to that effect." (2.21.55)
Not all that long ago, it was illegal for an unmarried couple to cohabit, or live together. It was also illegal in many places for people of different races to marry. "Good" people took advantage of this law and taboo: basically, they could justify their prejudices by just saying they were following the law.