How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Like songs, odors are catalysts of memory. Smelling the odors of the Riverside Inn, Randy recalled the sickly, pungent stench of [...] human manure for the fields of Korea. (7.128)
Randy is frequently reminded of his experiences in the Korean War in the aftermath of The Day. While he obviously witnessed some pretty horrendous stuff in the conflict, he doesn't seem traumatized by the experience. Quite to the contrary—it proves to be an asset. Because he's experienced tremendous human suffering before, he's better prepared to deal with it.
Quote #8
"What I would like to know," said Old Man Hockstatler, "is who won the war? Nobody ever tells you. This war I don't understand at all." (8.118)
This would be funny if it wasn't so depressing. Nuclear war, assumedly, is different from every other type of war in that it's over in an instant. You can hardly tell that it's started before it's over. As Alas, Babylon depicts, the true struggle comes in the aftermath.
Quote #9
"The truth is this. Once both sides had maximum capability in hydrogen weapons and efficient means of delivering them there was no sane alternative to peace." (9.196)
Here, Admiral Hazzard is saying is that the mere existence of nuclear weapons changed the game entirely—more than anyone realized at the time—and effectively made a disaster like this an inevitability. Or at least we think that's what he's saying. This statement could be read a few different ways, so we'd love to know what you think.