Fate and Free Will Quotes in Blood Red Road

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

Jest like the land, Pa's gittin worse an his eyes look more'n more to the sky instead of what's here in front of him. (1.10)

Saba's dad has always been obsessed with "reading the stars," but everything went into overdrive when the family started struggling. These days, he spends so much time thinking about the future that he hardly pays attention to the present.

Quote #2

Ain't you figgered it out yet? It's all in his head. Made up. There ain't nuthin written in the stars. There ain't no great plan. (1.49)

Although Saba doesn't know how to feel about Pa's mystical vibrations, Lugh knows exactly what he thinks about it—it's a bunch of hogwash. This leads to a great deal of tension between Lugh and his dad, and Lugh even considers leaving home.

Quote #3

The door creaks open. Pa's head appears.

Are they here? he says. Have they come?

You seen this comin. You read it in the stars. (1.239-241)

This is a big moment, because Pa seems to already know that there will be men coming to kidnap Lugh. He even seems to predict his own death. That's pretty trippy, and it also seems to prove that his fortune-telling abilities are authentic, right?