I took her point to be that civilization was a relative concept to begin with, and that its collapse could seem to be more or less under way, depending on where you were standing.
-- Mark O’Connell (chapter 2)

Importance: This line of narration refers to the idea that civilization is not a uniform concept at any given time. For example, human history (as well as the present day) is defined by many dynamics of injustice, including racism, sexism, and economic inequality. Throughout the book, O’Connell draws connections between matters of ecological action, societal cooperation, and addressing persistent social issues.

Theirs was a fantasy of a return to patriarchal norms, to a prefeminist dispensation that would be reestablished after the breakdown of civilization.
-- Mark O’Connell (chapter 2)

Importance: When researching 'doomsday preppers,' O’Connell found that many of them were white American men who lived in rural areas and held regressive, right-wing political views. These people actually seemed to...