God have mercy! God forgive you. . .
-- Luther Dunphy (Muskegee Falls, Ohio)

Importance: This quote represents Luther’s absolute belief in himself and his cause. It also sets the tone for the rest of the novel. After gunning down Luther and Timothy Barron in the parking lot of the women’s center, Luther bends down and whispers this to Gus’s body (or as he calls him the “fallen sinner”), as he had planned ahead of time (5). Luther wanted to say this to Gus because he believed he would die “unrepentant” (5). After this Luther lays the guns down perpendicular to a crack on the pavement - to mimic a cross - and puts his hands up in surrender, assuming the police will shoot him on sight. This scene, and this quote, demonstrates Luther’s absolute devotion to the pro-life cause, his religious fervor, and his own belief that he is - or will become - an American...