How we cite our quotes:
Quote #1
It was her father's voice that moved her, that voice that could come only from the life he lived. A life of withdrawal from the world, a life of constant awareness of death. (1.1.121)
Mr. Hill is obsessed with death. Actually, it's probably more accurate that he's weighed down by it, having spent his life researching the long history of violence between various communities in the United States. Strangely, Meridian loves her father so much because of his sadness.
Quote #2
Meridian's father said that Mr. Longknife had killed a lot of people [...] in the Second World War. The reasons he'd done this remained abstract. (1.6.22)
Although Mr. Longknife was persecuted by his own government, he ends up fighting and killing on their behalf. What does that do to a man? As it turns out, it shakes him to his core, turning him into a wanderer with few hopes or plans for the future.
Quote #3
She was a dot, a speck of creation, alone and hidden. She had contact with no other living thing; instead she was surrounded by the dead. (1.6.35)
Meridian's first mystical experience shows her what it's like to not exist. Trippy. This becomes an important part of her identity—you can even connect it to the fainting spells she experiences later in life. In fact, those fainting spells are portrayed to be similar to dying, too.