How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph.)
Quote #1
Mr Tench went out to look for his ether cylinder, into the blazing Mexican sun and the bleaching dust. A few vultures looked down from the roof with shabby indifference: he wasn't carrion yet. A faint feeling of rebellion stirred in Mr Tench's heart, and he wrenched up a piece of the road with splintering finger-nails and tossed it feebly towards them. One rose and flapped across town: over the tiny plaza, over the bust of an ex-president, ex-general, ex-human being, over the two stalls that sold mineral water, towards the river and the sea. (1.1.1)
The novel opens with a feeble protest against death, which is followed by a quick reminder that death always has the last word. Mr. Tench doesn't hit any of the birds, and only one of them bothers to take flight. The rest are like, "Whatever, dude." The vulture in the air flies over as if to say, "You look like you'd make a good dinner."
Quote #2
The General Obregon was about thirty yards long. A few feet of damaged rail, one lifeboat, a bell hanging on a rotten cord, an oil-lamp in the bow, she looked as if she might weather two or three more Atlantic years, if she didn't strike a Norther in the gulf. (1.1.4)
The boat—a chance for the priest's escape—is itself an image of death and impending doom. Heck, it's in such bad shape that it might not even make it out of the Gulf of Mexico still afloat. Stay or go, death awaits the priest as it awaits us all.
Quote #3
The man's dark suit reminded him uncomfortably of a coffin, and death was in his carious mouth already. (1.1.75)
In this world, a dentist's observations are more often about the Pearly Gates than pearly whites. Mr. Tench can see death approaching from afar, but this foresight hasn't made him any wiser.