How we cite our quotes: (Section.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
But I hadn't seen her visiting the sick nor raising the sad ones up. No everyday miracles for her. Her talent was the relishment of pain, foaming at the mouth, and it was no surprise to me that lately there had been a drastic disarrangement of her mind. (8.1.3)
Several years after her dramatic encounter with the mad nun, Marie is considering going to visit Sister Leopolda, since she had heard she was on her last legs. Marie's impression is that the nun's "religion" is still just as brutal and unchristian as it had been when she was a child.
Quote #8
I sweat. I broke right into a little cold sweat at my hairline because I knew this was perfectly right and for years not one damn other person had noticed it. God's been going deaf. Since the Old Testament, God's been deafening up on us. (13.1.26)
Here, Lipsha is reflecting on his grandfather's habit of shouting in church. Nector had explained himself as trying to make sure that God heard him, and Lipsha was really struck by the idea that God's hearing has been getting bad. Of course, given the hardships that he and many others in his family had endured, it's no wonder the thought would have occurred to him.
Quote #9
Now there's your God in the Old Testament and there is Chippewa Gods as well. Indian Gods, good and bad, like tricky Nanabozho or the water monster, Missepeshu, who loves over in Matchimanito. That water monster was the last God I ever heard to appear. It had a weakness for young girls and grabbed one of the Pillagers off her rowboat. She got to shore all right, but only after this monster had its way with her. (13.1.27)
Remember when we mentioned that the Christian and Native American gods kind of shared jurisdiction over the human race in this book? Well, that's basically what Lipsha is talking about here, as he reflects on which God or gods he's heard from lately. In his mind, the two types of gods most definitely can coexist.