How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #4
She leaped a tiny creek bowered in pussy-willow buds. She was nearing a frivolous grove of birch and poplar and wild plum trees. (12.1.5)
Here we have another one of the intoxicating scenes where Carol escapes the drudgery of her daily town life in order to bask in the beauty and freedom of nature.
Quote #5
"I believe! The woodland gods still live! And out there, the great land." (12.1.8).
Carol isn't willing to give up on her romantic notions about nature and human passion. Yes, modern towns like Gopher Prairie have ground people into a bunch of dull routines, but Carol isn't yet willing to believe that the gods of nature and human passion are dead. (Also, we're talking about metaphorical gods, folks. Carol would have to wait a few decades for the Wicca books to come out.)
Quote #6
On cool evenings, when they tried to go walking, the gnats appeared in swarms which peppered their faces and caught in their throats. (12.2.5)
Nature isn't always a super fun thing. Sometimes, for example, you can run into a bunch of bugs that make your experience miserable. Here, Sinclair Lewis is reminding us that there's nothing in life that's 100% good. There's always good and bad in almost anything.