How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Let me get this straight," she said, and now there was an edge to her voice. "Are you trying to tell me what I've got to do to kill Jennifer?" (5.51)
It's one thing to deal with death as an abstract concept, but it's a whole different thing to have to think about mercy-killing your newborn child. We can't blame Mary for being so repulsed by this idea, but she eventually realizes that it might be the most humane option for the family.
Quote #5
"Jennifer [...] may live on for days, crying and vomiting all over herself in her cot [...] with you dead on the floor beside her." (5.58)
Oh, man. This one is so rough that we can hardly think about it. Peter and Mary don't have that luxury, however, and must make this life-or-death decision sooner or later. Still, we don't envy them being in such a gut-wrenching situation.
Quote #6
"You've got it, we've all got it. This door, this spanner—everything's getting touched with radioactive dust." (8.34)
And then, just like that, the end is here (Shute sure was right about it being a whimper, huh?). That's actually one of the most frightening things about death in On the Beach: it's impossible to see, yet it's impossible to escape.