Going Bovine Mortality Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

Whatever it was, I was convinced that this ride was where you went to die. I would be separated from my family forever and end up in some part of the underworld where smiling kid robots in boater hats sang nonstop in Portuguese. I had to keep that from happening. (1.21)

Cam is, in our humble opinion, describing some level of Hell even Dante was too afraid to mention. No wonder he was so desperate that he jumped into that muck Disney calls "water" in order to flee through a maintenance door. Wouldn't you?

Quote #2

"'Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.' Emily Dickinson. Why must we die when everything within us yearns to live? Do our atoms not dream of more?" (10.57)

Even though he's pretty creepy, Dr. X has a poetic point. Why do we have to die? What if mortality was an avoidable fate, and we could find a way to go on forever? If you thought you could, wouldn't you try?

Quote #3

It's like the information is a big wave rushing over me, and I can only grab at certain words and phrases to hold me up. "Progressive muscle weakness," "uneven gait," "dementia and delusions," "four to six months," "hospital," "experimental treatments." I don't hear anybody mention it's going to kill me. Probably because no one actually comes right out and says it. In fact, Dr. Specialist does everything he can not to say it. And that's when I know I must be in some deep s***. (11.56)

It's never good when you have Dr. Specialist-types flummoxed. They're supposed to be the guys with all the answers, right? The smooth ones with easy bedside manners. So when Cam's doc starts dancing around what's happening to him, Cam is right to assume it doesn't look good for him. And despite the tidal wave of bad news, Cam doesn't drown in it. In fact, he's pretty calm considering the situation, don't you think? Why do you think that is?