How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Because a person should never show vanity in the presence of death, Lefty stopped shaving and by the day of the funeral had grown nearly a full beard. (2.3.1)
Death customs vary widely by culture and are always fascinating. We hope Jimmy died in November so that Lefty was already prepared for No-Shave November—might as well kill two birds with one stone. Oops. Did we say kill? Too soon?
Quote #2
In my family, the funeral meats have always furnished the wedding tables. (2.5.84)
What is it about funerals that makes people want to feel alive? Is it a touch of necrophilia (yeah, we went there—when you're talking about a book that has so much incest in it, nothing's off limits), or something else at work?
Quote #3
As [Lefty's] mind continued to waver, to short-circuit, he finally arrived at the cold-eyed conclusion, so at odds with his youthful cheerfulness, that the brain was just an organ like any other and that when it failed he would be no more. (3.3.99)
Boy this is harsh. As Lefty gets older, he pretty much stops believing in... anything. But especially not in an afterlife. Why do you think he gives up hope?