How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Those men did not miss him right away," Jesus Maria went on. "They said, 'He is probably drunk, that old one.' It was an hour later when they opened the door of that tool shed." (14.74)
Jesus Maria's story about the old man who wanted to attempt suicide in order to get a girl's attention but accidentally went undiscovered and died provokes some nervous laughter in the guys. This might be because they recognize themselves in the old man: if any of them were to go missing, everyone would probably assume they were just drunk, since they usually are. This is another little warning of the dreary ending to the novel. It also shows that extreme acts—like a faked suicide—can end in tragedy just as easily as they can end happily.
Quote #8
Pilon poured him another jar of wine and watched his face while the wine disappeared. The eyes lost their lackluster. Somewhere in the depths, the old Danny stirred to life for a moment. (16.14)
Danny is down in the dumps, and the only way that Pilon can even begin to bring his friend back is by pumping wine into him. This gives us the idea that Danny's personality is so tied up in alcohol that you can't separate the two. Drunk Danny is the only Danny, and when he hasn't had a drink, he's lost his sense of self.
Quote #9
"I gave Danny the last of the wine, and it did him good. What Danny needs is lots of wine, and maybe a party." (16.16)
In a last-ditch effort to save their friend, the friends actually push Danny over the edge. They realize that Danny seems to wake up with wine, so they decide to have a crazy party that will get him trashed and bring him back from his depression. Alcohol is equated with life in this plan. Let's see how that works out.