Mompellion sees the natural world as a deeply spiritual place. As we'll later learn, this belief can be traced back to his former life as an outdoor laborer. That, of course, is an unusual background for a minister, which might explain Mompellion's generally unusual disposition.

The death of Anna's infant son is perhaps the hardest for her to deal with. It tears her up to see someone so pure and innocent suffer such an ignoble end. As we'll see, the deaths of both of her children have a profound effect on her and shape the woman she becomes.