Forgiveness Quotes in We Need to Talk About Kevin

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"It's hard to be a momma." (15.44)

Loretta Greenleaf, a fellow mother at the prison, is the first person we see forgive Eva. Because Eva chooses to share this information with Franklin in one of her letters, we can see that it's a powerful experience for her.

Quote #5

"Just cause you get used to something doesn't mean you like it." he added, snapping the magenta. "You're used to me." (18.78)

According to Kevin, perhaps we just get used to a person, thought, or concept and become at peace with it as a result. Does that equal forgiveness, for real? Or is it really just passivity?

Quote #6

Honestly, when Carol Reeves formally "forgave" our son on CNN for murdering her boy, Jeffrey […] I had no idea what she was talking about. Had she built a box around Kevin in her head, knowing that only rage dwelled there; was our son now simply a place her mind refused to go? (19.18)

Eva attempts to use metaphorical language to describe what forgiveness looks like in the brain. Is she effective in her description? What metaphors would you use to describe what it feels like to forgive a person?