Zeitoun

“...in the history of the world it might even be that there was more punishment than crime...” 

This quote, taken from Cormac McCarthy, highlights the narrative’s central concern: how Zeitoun, an innocent man, could be punished for a crime he didn’t commit in the present day and age, and in the name of justice.

"To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail" 

This introductory quote sets the tone for narrative. As a builder, Zeitoun sees problems simply as projects, things that need to be fixed. This characterizes his initial approach to the flood too. People need help, so he will stay behind and help them.

“His frustration with some Americans was like that of a disappointed parent. He was so content in this country, so impressed with and loving of its opportunities, but then why, sometimes, did Americans fall short of their best selves?” 

Zeitoun is forced to ask this question time and again throughout the narrative, especially when he’s incarcerated for a crime he hasn’t committed. He believes in both the system and his country, but time and again he’s shown that something is broken, that America’s progress as a nation is slow, sometimes too slow. This quote highlights that Zeitoun isn’t angered or upset by this; he simply wants his adopted country to be the best it can be, as a parent does for a child.