"'Quick, quick!' he caught her by the sleeve, dragged her after him. 'Quick! Something's happened. I've killed her.'" pg. 206
This is another turning point in the story. This is when John's emotional state has become so fragile that it breaks. He can no longer loudly protest the customs of these people. He can't try to discourage them from their polygamist lifestyle or their passiveness. This one moment when his mother is in such dire need of care, no one will help him. No one is even concerned. They all just see it as a part of life.
John is the only one who is sad to see his mother go. He is sad that she is no longer a part of the world because she was special to him. But, to everyone else, all are equal. Everyone is the same, so losing one person is no worse than losing another. To this progressive society, death and reproduction cancel each other out. Never mind who is lost and who is created, as long as they balance each other out.
On the other hand, John who has created a special relationship and bond with his mother is emotionally destroyed. The fact that no one even attempted to help her leaves him speechless and virtually lifeless. He doesn't care about anyone anymore.
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