This quotation is significant to the theme of the Ethiopian Civil War and eventual Genocide that occurs after Lilly has fled to London, England. While in London, Lilly is on the outside, looking in at all of the violent and tragic consequences that occur after the fall of the Ethiopian Emperor and rise of a cruel new army, The Dergue. In this quotation Lilly feels like the state of Ethiopia during this time is comparable to hell. She reflects on the inhumanity of these events, and how humans are mostly blind to what is happening. The analysis of human kind that Lilly makes, specifically saying people of the world are ashes-to-ashes, implying humans began from the dust, and no matter what will always return to that state. Comparing this to the
