How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
New ideas and new people were coming into the La Jolla of Chandler's day. The same Kennedy who had pushed the Test Ban and killed Orion was also federalizing the Alabama National Guard, to stop George Wallace from using them against the desegregation program. Medgar Evers had been killed just a few months before. There was a feeling running through the country now, that things had to change. (28.167)
Quote #8
"Look, like I said, I was down here to get some magazines. Mr. Aiken is doin' this special two-day extra-credit project in our college level physics course, the PST one. It was on the stuff in this magazine, Senior Scholastic. Mr. Aiken, he had me come down here to get 'em for this class this afternoon. There was somethin' about y'know this ah, signal from the future an'—" (44.60)
Ultimately, the novel suggests that change is possible. Sure, it does so in a rather heavy-handed way by rewriting history and saving JFK, but the take away point is that the world is made a better place by the search for scientific knowledge. Notice that it wasn't just Gordon's search either—Bob Hayes, the man who stops Oswald, does so while seeking out scientific knowledge, too.
Quote #9
Causality's leaden hand would win out. The soothing human world of flowing time would go on, a Sphinx yielding none of her secrets. An infinite series of grandfathers would live out their lives safe from Renfrew. (45.22)
Well, at least a world is made better. Unfortunately for Renfrew, he won't get to experience that change because it doesn't take place in his world. What can we say? You can't win them all.