How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"Our will to power, our science, and those v. faculties that elevated us from apes, to savages, to modern man, are the same faculties that'll snuff out Homo sapiens before this century [the 20th] is out." (10.1.19)
Morty Dhondt has a pretty shrewd vision of this future, as this is exactly what happens by Zachry's time. Hindsight, foresight, or whatever kind of sight this is in Cloud Atlas's time-twisted narrative is always 20/20.
Quote #8
People are obscenities. (10.8.9)
This is quite a change from Frobisher's earlier statement that "people are complicated" (2.1.40). From his short life experience, he believes he's figured out why people are complicated—they're all just really, really terrible.
Quote #9
"Our love—or rather our rapacity—for treasure, gold, spices & dominion, oh, most of all, sweet dominion, is the keenest, the hungriest, the most unscrupulous! This rapacity, yes, powers our Progress; for ends infernal or divine I know not." (11.2.43)
"Rapacity" is a good word choice here. It makes us think of both "rape" and "rapture," two words that can apply to both sides of the same issue. Are we raping the planet with our greed, or are we working toward paradise?