In Margaret Atwood's "The Year of the Flood," the protagonist reflects on the concept of aging and the desire to remain eternally youthful. The idea of staying the same age forever is presented as an impossible wish, leading her to a dark contemplation of death as a foolproof way to halt the passage of time.

This quote implies that the fear of aging often drives individuals to extreme thoughts. It encapsulates a profound irony: while death may indeed suspend one’s age, it ultimately represents a loss of life's experiences and opportunities, highlighting the value of living fully despite the inevitability of change and aging.