How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #7
Bloom! A report half defeaned him and he though his right hand was torn from his arm. (130)
It turns out that Dave isn't quite strong enough to handle the gun's power—both literally and figuratively. This failure has real consequences, most notably the death of Jenny the mule.
Quote #8
He turned over, thinking how had fired the gun. He had an itch to fire it again. Ef other men kin shoota gun, by Gawd, Ah kin! (208)
After being thoroughly shamed by Hawkins, Dave is desperate to recapture the power that was abruptly stolen from him. But is he ready to wield that power once again? The child-like logic that he uses here makes us assume no, but we'll hold judgment for now.
Quote #9
But, as soon as he wanted to pull the trigger, he shut his eyes and turned his head. Naw, Ah can't shoot wid mah eyes closed n mah head turned. (209)
Well, we'd consider this an improvement—instead of being frightened by the power of the gun, Dave has now learned how to embrace it. While this doesn't solve all of his problems (far from it), it's a sign that Dave has figured out how to learn from his mistakes.