I always thought a shipwreck was a well-organized affair, but I've learned the devil a lot in the last five minutes.
The quote reflects a realization about the chaotic nature of disasters, contrasting the initial perception of order in shipwrecks with the jarring reality that can unfold in moments of crisis. The speaker, having held a preconceived notion, discovers the complexity and unpredictability that often accompany tragic events. This insight emphasizes how experiences profoundly alter one's understanding of previously simplistic ideas.
In Erik Larson's "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania,"...