How we cite our quotes: (Daysbefore.Paragraph) and (daysafter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"So this guy," I said, standing in the doorway of the living room. "Francois Rabelais. He was this poet. And his last words were 'I go to seek a Great Perhaps.' That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps." (136before.18)
Miles is seduced by adventure and the idea of living in the now that adventure implies. He's no longer satisfied with a comfortable life… but now he's opened himself up to the suffering that is tied to a Great Perhaps. Does he realize what he's about to do?
Quote #2
"I must talk, and you must listen, for we are engaged here in the most important pursuit in history: the search for meaning. What is the nature of being a person? What is the best way to go about being a person? How did we come to be, and what will become of us when we are no longer here?" (126before.17)
The Old Man serves as a starting point for many of the musings Miles has about life and consciousness. What makes him such an important figure in Miles's exploration of life and the meaning of existence?
Quote #3
People, I thought, wanted security. They couldn't bear the idea of death being a big black nothing, couldn't bear the thought of their loved ones not existing, and couldn't even imagine themselves not existing. I finally decided that people believed in an afterlife because they couldn't bear not to. (4before.4)
Miles talks about "people" here, but does he include himself in this category? And does this mean he believes in the religious traditions? How does this idea about death and meaning connect to the Great Perhaps he has envisioned for himself?