Mortality Quotes in Life After Life

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

Pamela said [Sylvie's suicide] was the coward's way out, but Ursula wasn't so sure. She thought it showed a rather admirable clarity of purpose. (18.10)

This line shows Ursula's feelings toward death (i.e., it's inevitable) and foreshadows her eventual suicide in one of the timelines, an action she commits with clear purpose.

Quote #5

To Ursula Todd, for good work. It would do for an epitaph too, she supposed. (18.28)

Ursula thinks a lot about death in this chapter (one of the chapters in which she later dies). This epitaph idea perfectly sums up how Ursula wants to be remembered: for good work.

Quote #6

"Well, we all get on," Sylvie said, "one way or another. And in the end we all arrive at the same place. I hardly see that it matters how we get there." (21.16)

Sylvie has a very laissez-faire approach to life—she's all, who cares? We're going to die anyway. That seems awfully defeatist to us (and if she truly believes this, why is she so snooty to Ursula about her life decisions, hmm?).