How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Our concern increased when we saw Bonnie visibly wasting away. (4.63)
The girls' suffering is emotional, not physical. They have a place to live (however creepy), food to eat (however non-nutritious), clothes to wear (however baggy and tattered). But Bonnie's wasting away is a visible, physical sign of her emotional distress. People sunk in grief or sadness don't take care of their health—they don't care—and eventually their health deteriorates. The mind/body connection in action.
Quote #5
"Twenty-one. Handsome. Beautiful on violin.
"How?"
"Bridge nearby. Swift current."
"How get over?"
"Never will." (4.72-76)
While we don't get many up-close descriptions of the girls' inner turmoil in the aftermath of Cecilia's death, this exchange between Therese and a stranger in Colombia over the ham radio (think of an early version of a Reddit thread) gives us a hint. Her question, how her radio buddy got over his brother's suicide, reveals that she's suffering, too. What's worse is the answer: he'll never get over it.
Quote #6
Technically, Mary survived for more than a month, though everyone felt otherwise. After that night, people spoke of the Lisbon girls in the past tense, and if they mentioned Mary at all it was with the veiled wish that she would hurry up and get it over with. (5.4)
This passage seems to describe the neighbors' reaction to the unimaginable suffering of the Lisbon family. They don't really want Mary dead, but they can't tolerate the situation any longer. The deaths have had a huge impact on the neighborhood as well as the family, and the narrator suggests that the entire neighborhood fell apart after the Lisbon tragedy.