The quote captures a profound sense of loss and dislocation experienced by a character. The term "unmoored" suggests a feeling of being adrift or disconnected from one's past or identity. As memories fade under the relentless light of time, it highlights a struggle with the impermanence of recollection and the challenges of holding onto one's history.

In "Last Night in Montreal," Emily St. John Mandel explores themes of memory, identity, and the impact of place on personal relationships. The imagery of memories eroding evokes a sense of nostalgia and the bittersweet nature of looking back on one's life, illustrating the fragility of human experience in the face of time's passing.