How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Part.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I asked the villagers who had been taking care of these people. They said no one, it wasn't "safe." I noticed that the door had been locked from the outside. The villagers were clearly terrified. They cringed and whispered; some kept their distance and prayed. (2.1.6)
Terror, up-rooted lives, death, and upset-stomach syndrome are the usual side effects that accompany nasty change. It's also the first flavor of change we taste in the novel.
Quote #2
In order to test for something, you have to know what you're looking for. We didn't know about Walking Plague then. We were concerned with conventional ailments—hepatitis or HIV/AIDS—and we didn't even have time to test for those. (2.4.5)
During the spread of the zombie plague, change was perhaps the number one weapon on the zombie's side. If you aren't ready for the change, you can't prepare for it. (If you're wondering, the inability to feel pain and their teeth come in as the zombies' number two and three weapons.
Quote #3
Most people don't believe something can happen until it already has. That's no stupidity or weakness, that's just human nature. I don't blame anyone for not believing (2.6.2)
But why is resisting change human nature? Change happens to us all the time, so why are we always surprised when it occurs? Is it part of our survival makeup? A psychological thing? We aren't asking rhetorical questions here: we really, really want to know.