Guilt and Blame Quotes in Burn

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

"The people in the Dome have survivors' guilt. They hate all who survived on the outside because they hate themselves." (8.106)

Survivors' guilt is a term we use for people who feel guilty (and undeserving) for being alive. The people inside the Dome all have this, because they were the ones who were saved from the Detonations.

Quote #8

The guilt washes over him. It's his fault. He's to blame. He squeezes Lyda's hand and she squeezes it back. At least he's not alone. (10.3)

Without Lyda, Partridge's guilt probably would have driven him to suicide as well. Sometimes all you need is a little support to get past feelings of guilt.

Quote #9

Partridge is going to walk down the aisle cowed by guilt. He tried to lead and it was all stripped away. (14.33)

Partridge's marriage to Iralene is part of a huge lie — by telling the Dome the truth in the beginning of the book, Partridge rid himself of guilt. But then he built it up again by lying more. This is where guilt and lying go hand-in-hand.