How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
As a little girl, because she had no one to kiss, she often used to kiss the wall. Embracing the wall was like embracing herself. (4.413)
This quote doesn't say anything about sadness. It's just sad. It's one of the saddest scenes of the book—a little girl kissing a wall because she has no one to show her love. Like we said, sad.
Quote #8
Only now did she recognize that her life had been miserable. She felt like weeping as she perceived the other side. For as I've already stated, until this moment, Macabéa had thought of herself as being happy. (4.414)
Awk-ward. Madame Carlota is the first person to tell Macabéa that her life stinks, and it's not a nice feeling. The one good thing? Now she can finally feel hope. (But—spoiler alert—not for long.)