How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I had a hard time understanding how God could distinguish one Georgie Burkhardt from the myriads of thirteen-year-old girls with braided hair, brown eyes, and plain faces. If I had been sure that death was only a candle blown out, an endless oblivion as my body broke down and soaked into the earth, I would have found that a comfort. But now I was here—in this meadow with a gun, Billy tied up and hurting, and two bad men in our camp, both armed. In this situation, I found out that deep down I wondered if there might be a heaven and a hell and a capital-G someone waiting for me.
Spare me and we'll talk. Please don't let me die. (17.94-95)
Death becomes much more immediate for Georgie in this scene. Most people in her society seem to find the idea of an afterlife comforting, but Georgie is more comforted by the idea of oblivion. Understandably, she really hopes not to find out what waits after life in this moment.
Quote #8
But Billy was dying, for heaven's sake. Dying. There is a night-and-day difference between "dying" and "dead." (18.58)
We'd say that the key difference between dying and dead is that, in the first scenario, the person is still alive, so there's still hope and the potential to fix things. Feel free to disagree with us, though.
Quote #9
According to Mr. Olmstead, Grandfather Bolte fell in front of several customers. His heart gave out, Doc Wilkie said. He died instantaneously.
They waited to hold the funeral as long as they could. (20.10-11)
Georgie and her grandfather are very close. How do her experiences trying to prove that Agatha is alive actually help her to accept Grandfather Bolte's death?