Quote 7
What if I marked [Pascal] with some English word I taught him, as stupidly as we doomed our parrot? (5.6.26)
Even though Leah's practically in another country when Pascal is murdered by rival soldiers, she finds a way to take responsibility for his death. Now that's an overdeveloped sense of guilt.
Quote 8
If I could reach backward somehow to give Father just one gift, it would be the simple human relief of knowing you've done wrong, and living through it. (6.2.34)
Talk about a gift that keeps on giving. Nathan is incapable of admitting he's guilty; Leah is incapable of admitting she's not.
Quote 9
I used to threaten Ruth May's life so carelessly just to make her behave. Now I had to face the possibility that we really could lose her. (3.5.130)
Talk about a culture gap. We doubt the Congolese would threaten a child's life to make her behave, because death comes so easily there. Leah, who grew up where a child's death is the exception, doesn't have a problem with it... until Ruth May is on death's door with malaria.