How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
And Thérèse could not see a single human, not a living creature, among these grotesque and sinister beings with whom she was shut up. At times she would suffer hallucinations, thinking that she was buried in a vault together with mechanical bodies [...]. The heavy atmosphere of the dining room stifled her, and the eerie silence and yellowish glow of the lamp filled her with a vague sense of terror. (4.6)
Thérèse's dissatisfaction is often expressed as a feeling of imprisonment. Here, her hallucination that she's being buried in a vault emphasizes how trapped she feels in the habadashery shop.
Quote #5
He felt suffocated in this narrow cage, which Thérèse had left full of the heat of her passion. [...] all he had to press in his arms was his mistress's intangible ghost, present all around him; he was in a fever of reviving, unsatisfied desire. (9.48)
When Laurent is denied the sexual satisfaction of being with Thérèse, he feels as if he is "suffocated" in a "narrow cage." Again, the theme of discontent is expressed through the imagery of cages and prisons. See our "Symbols, Imagery, Allegory" Section for more on what this imprisonment bit is all about.
Quote #6
It was under pressure of events, annoyed at the idea of not seeing his mistress again, that he had spoken about the man's death. And, at that, a new corner of his unconscious being had come to light. In the passion of adultery, he had begun to dream about killing. (9.49)
Here, Laurent is said to entertain thoughts of murder because of the "pressure of events." Yeah, we know, we're tired of this point too, but: Zola believes people don't do things because they have free will. He believes we're all just animals who live out the fates of our biology and our environment.