How we cite our quotes: In consultation with my editor, we decided (against standard practice) to go with page numbers—since The Sunset Limited is one long act and it would be unwieldy and impractical to number all the lines.
Quote #4
BLACK: It's them reasons that your brother dont know nothin about hangin by his necktie from the steampipe down in the basement. He got his own dumb-ass reasons, but maybe if we could educate him to where some of them more elegant reasons was available to him and his buddies then they'd be a lot of folks out there could off theyselves with more joy in they hearts. What do you think? (120-121)
Black admits he's being facetious, but it's still sort of a serious question. What's the point of killing yourself over these high-class intellectual things and setting yourself above even the average suicidal person? Black can't understand it. Can you?
Quote #5
BLACK: […] You say you dont care about nothin but I dont believe that. You asked me what I thought it was you was holdin on to and I got to say I dont know. Or maybe I just dont have the words to say it. And maybe you know but you aint sayin. But I believe that when you took your celebrated leap you was holdin on to it and takin it with you. Holdin on for grim death. (127)
Black thinks White's holding on to something—probably connected with his own ego, his own belief in "the primacy of the intellect." That must be what's driving him crazy.