The town office building contains a large filing cabinet filled with death certificates, each conveying tragic stories of individuals who died due to their own uncontrollable emotions like anger or unexpressed sadness. These records symbolize the emotional burdens and internal struggles faced by the townspeople, highlighting themes of mental health and emotional repression.
"Choked to death on his own anger" and "suffocated from unexpressed feelings of unhappiness" reflect how suppressed emotions can lead to destructive outcomes. The imagery underscores the importance of addressing and expressing feelings instead of letting them fester and cause harm, as emphasized in Miriam Toews' novel "A Complicated Kindness."