How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
I was still waiting for an answer from the White House. Maybe my telegram had been too concise? Too curt or disrespectful to send to the president? Maybe Roosevelt had forgotten about me? (58.1)
To call Ben frustrated here would be an understatement. He's confused. Why wouldn't the President get back to him? He's been sent down there by the guy, and then hears nothing back from his telegram. To Ben, it feels like the guy has given up because he's no longer active in solving the problem.
Quote #5
There were groans from the congregation. It seemed to me that most of them had been turning the other cheek their entire lives. (63.11)
In the church, Ben witnesses another type of passivity. Some people sit by and do nothing to stop the hate spreading like wildfire all around town, and others do nothing when they are the ones being targeted. Here we see that sometimes inaction can be a good thing—if it's done in the right way.
Quote #6
"You mean, because we haven't heard from Roosevelt?" I asked. "I don't understand that at all. I almost got hanged for him." (72.17)
Check out what Ben says about his hanging being for Roosevelt. It's not merely that he was hanged by the White Raiders, or got himself into trouble for doing what's right—he directly blames Roosevelt for his suffering in Eurdoa, which makes the President's lack of response all the more annoying.