“Other than his wife, they seemed like the only individuals he’d come upon in some time who would rather leave a moment naked than tar it with wasted words.”

This quotation comes in the first chapter when George first comes across Prentiss and Landry. George feels a connection with the men who are not willing to fill their time with George with empty conversation. While George feels some discomfort in their presence, he appreciates that unlike many of the people in Old Ox, they seem genuine.

“For who was the bigger coward, the boy for dying without courage, or George for not being able to tell the boy’s own mother that she would never see her son again?”

The quote presents a key conflict that George faces at the beginning of the novel. He delays telling his wife Isabelle that their son has been killed in war because he is fearful of how she will respond. His concern stems less from how she will respond to his death so much as that he died deserting his fellow soldiers. He comes face to face with his own cowardice in not being able to tell her the news.

“If ever he lacked warmth—which he often did—his unflagging ability to bring her back to port when she strayed into choppy waters was an asset that made up for it many times over. No one was more reliable, and if that was not the ultimate act of compassion, she did not know what was.”

The relationship between George and Isabelle is strong in that their love for one another is genuine. Though George does not readily show his love for her, he provides comfort for her when times get challenging, and she appreciates this quality. However, with the biggest challenge in their marriage about to present itself, George is unsure how he will be able to comfort her.