Answer:
The death of their four-year-old son first resulted to change of mind in the family which led the parents into paralyzed dullness.
The excerpts that support my answer:
"With his death, there came a change of mind in his family. The father and mother now that paralyzed dullness with which the mind protects itself against too much sorrow and too much pain".
"...and he is not able to fight clear of the dullness that has settled on him".
"The dullness shows in the faces of this family..."
Explanation:
The death of their son led them into a terrible time as a family. They seem to be paralyzed in mind and that's seen in their behavior. They started acting dull. It's seen that it also affected the children's schooling.
