How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #4
He bent over the Indian woman. She was quiet now and her eyes were closed. She looked very pale. She did not know what had become of the baby or anything. (36)
This is really more of a victory for Nick's father than it is for the mother. She's just been operated on without anesthetic, and here is the doctor congratulating himself on a job well done. It's one for the gender-disparity books, that's for sure: Nick's father is acting more like he's the one that just gave birth.
Quote #5
"Ought to have a look at the proud father. They're usually the worst sufferers in these little affairs," the doctor said. "I must say he took it all pretty quietly." (42)
You notice how "Nick's father" has now become "the doctor"? It's like he has for the moment stepped out of the role of didactic father and is now Doctor-with-a-capital-D. But he's also now not the only father in the room, so our focus is being shifted to a character whom we didn't think was all that important to the story—but whose suffering, ironically, is about to become very important.
Quote #6
"Why did he kill himself, Daddy?" "I don't know, Nick. He couldn't stand things, I guess." (50-51)
Because this is the world of the story (meaning that the Indian man doesn't have a backstory, unless it's in fan fiction), this is just about the best reason we're going to get. The fact is, though, that suicide leaves many unanswered questions. See, Nick's dad is trying to rationalize the man's suicide, because by rationalizing it he regains some kind of control over it. But the rationalization he gives seems shaky at best.