How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Toussaint dismounted and stepped into the complicated shadow of the tree, lightness and darkness making curlicued patterns at his feet, as if trying to convey something by means of runes that no man could read, not even he. (8.10)
Everyone is always reading the signs and predicting the future in this book, and Toussaint is no different. He, too, thinks about the power and significance of darkness. Even though he admits that he's not exactly sure what the light and dark mean, he knows they mean something important.
Quote #8
No, he would die in darkness and would go on into darkness, too. There would be no reunion, and nothing would be made whole. There would be no Rapture – he had known that before – but now he saw that there would be no return, either. (22.78)
That's one dark way of looking at death. (See what we did there?) As Toussaint prepares to die, he thinks about how death is really just darkness. His perspective certainly helps us understand what Shorty has been going through the entire time. He's surrounded by death no mater where he goes because of the darkness.
Quote #9
Far beyond our walls, far beyond the bounds that hold us, there are people who want to help. There are always people who want to help, but they are too far away, and we are too silent. […] There is no future and no past. We are in the darkness. We are one. (23.5)
By the end, the darkness isn't just enveloping Shorty, it's everywhere. In fact, it's a big part of how Shorty sees the world. He knows people might want to help, but he and his town are still in trouble. This metaphor of light vs. dark becomes a way for us to understand what it's like for Shorty.