How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Those gloved hands of Chet's ball into fists at his side for a second before going limp. "Because I've accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and my life. And I know that what happened to me happened for a reason. God has a bigger plan for me, and I have to trust in that."
The question's out of my mouth before I even have a chance to think it. "What if it's not God's will, Chet?"
"But it is. I know that."
"No, Chet, what if it's just a s***ty thing that happened? What if it's just bad luck, some random thing like a butterfly flapped his wings in South America and you broke your neck? What if there is no divine plan at all and we are totally on our own?" I don't know what kind of answer I want or if there even is an answer. "You ever think about that, Chet?"
"No. No, I don't," he says with assurance. "And I feel sorry for you if that's how you feel."
Yeah, I think, closing my eyes to the Chet Kings of the world. I feel sorry for me, too. (13.123-128)
The Butterfly Effect is a popular trope for explaining the randomness of things. Which theory is more comforting, though, the one where we are powerless because everything is random, or the one where we are powerless because God has a bigger plan?
Quote #2
"You won't know until you ask. Besides, his fate is tied to yours. Everything's connected."
"There's no such thing as fate."
"Except for random fate."
"That's… insane."
"Yeah." She grins. (15.107-111)
Dulcie, could you possibly elaborate, please? We're not quite sure what you're getting at here. Random fate is an oxymoron… right?
Quote #3
"Yeah," I say softly. "Dulcie said you're part of this, too. That you'd find your purpose on this trip, and that's why we were put in the same room together. No accidents. Everything's connected. In a random sort of way." (16.40)
This makes more sense. It's like life is one big tapestry and things are interwoven in a seemingly random way, but when you step back, a pattern can be seen in the bigger picture.
Quote #4
"'Take my advice and live for a long, long time,'" Mom reads. "'Because the maddest thing a man can do in this life is to let himself die.'" (21.44)
Mom is quoting from Don Quixote here. DQ wasn't exactly the sanest dude on La Mancha, so his idea that you could control how and when you die is a bit wackadoo. But on the flipside, the concept of making the most out of your life seems rational, doesn't it?
Quote #5
"At first, we gave people a choice. But then we found they didn't like the blueberry as much as they thought they would or they wished they had gotten the strawberry instead, just like their best friends did. It was a big bummer. So we simplified things for them. Now, they can order whatever they want, but in the end, it's all the same flavor. You're guaranteed the same experience every single time. And you're having the same experience as everybody else. Cuts down on things like dissatisfaction, envy, competitiveness, longing, regret. All that bad stuff." (24.26)
The crazies at CESSNAB have removed the option for free will in order to eliminate "that bad stuff," but is doesn't actually make them happy. What does this say about people like Chet King who are made happier by believing that everyone has a fate they are already destined for?
Quote #6
Balder argues that you can never know about destiny: are the people you meet there to play a part in your destiny, or do you exist just to play a role in theirs? (31.11)
Is it possible for the answer to be both? This one's a real mind-bender—over to you, Shmoopers.
Quote #7
"This [screw] is a necessary part of your destiny. It's in your hands now. Use it well, son. You kin open yo' eyes." (33.53)
Knowing what we know about what happens with the screw, do you think the author believes in fate or free will?
Quote #8
"If you know all this stuff about us… if you can see what's going to happen and it's already in motion, why bother? Why should we try to do anything? We can't change it."
She hops up, opens her arms wide. "Did I say that you couldn't change it?"
"No, but …"
"What I see is the course as it stands now. Today. At 10:27:07 p.m. Relatively Standard Time. Tomorrow, Keith could pick up a book, read a sentence there that completely alters the course of his life, and decide he wants to become an English professor and that's it. New ball game. Destiny isn't fixed, Cameron." […]
"Things can change, Cameron. It's the one constant of this universe." (37.95-100)
Of course Cam would take a fatalist approach, but Dulcie stops him. If change is the one constant of the universe, then fate has a different feeling to it. It's more of a coin toss than certain doom kind of vibe.
Quote #9
And just like that, something in the cosmos shifts. A butterfly flaps its wings in South America. Snow falls in Chicago. You give an idiot a stupid magic screw and it turns out to be a necessary part after all. (40.116)
Now Bray is just messing with us. She's arguing that although we each have a fate that we are destined for, our free will allows us to make decisions that can alter it at any time. She just effectively called a stalemate in the battle of fate versus free will. Now it's just a moo point.