In the opening of Tom Godwin's short story "The Cold Equations," the narrator describes the pilot Barton as so used to the sight of men dying in the new frontier that he no longer feels any emotion when witnessing death. Yet, by the end of the story, he is not as desensitized towards the sight of death as he thought.
We see his initial cold, objective view of death described in the following passage:
He was an EDS pilot, inured to the sight of death, long since accustomed to it and to viewing the dying of another man with an objective lack of emotion, and he had no choice in what he must do.
Although barton continues to be convinced he must carry out his orders of taking the stowaway's life to save the lives of many more people, his emotions soften once he sees the stowaway is a young girl.
Barton displays his change in emotion when he drops the deceleration speed to save fuel and radios the commander of the Stardust to see if Marilyn might be rescued in some way. He best shows his change in emotion when, after Marilyn realizes what will happen to her, he says to her, "I'm sorry. . . You'll never know how sorry I am. It has to be that way and no human in the universe can change it." Though Barton remains convinced of the rightfulness of the law, it is clear by the end of the story he is no longer "inured to the sight of death." It is evident he is grieving for Marilyn, as he continues to feel her presence in the ship and hear her words echoing through his head.
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