How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
The only light came from the last embers on the hearth. A figure stood there by the kitchen table. In the first moment it was a haunt with long, tangled gray hair hiding its face. Hearing me, the ghost turned, and I saw who it was. (9.17)
Overnight, Mama turns into an old lady, a ghost even. In fact, it doesn't even take her the whole night. What causes this physical transformation?
Quote #8
The sight of it sent the blood hurrying through my veins. I'd been sent to bring my brother home, and here he was. So that was the very last time when I was truly young, young in my heart. That breathless moment in the rattling backboard, almost safely home. (14.40)
Here, Tilly speaks of old age by contrasting it with youth, by saying what it is not. She's not talking about physical aging but rather about spiritual and emotional aging. Earlier, Howard says there's something young about an old woman, and here, Tilly says there's something old about a young woman. Age—it's more than just a number.