Rules are meant to be broken. At least that's what all the rule breakers say. And Hoot is dedicated those who break, bend, or completely ignore the rules.
But our case study gets a little complicated since most of the rule breakers have some pretty good justifications for their actions. So does that make it okay? Roy thought that "just because something was legal didn't automatically make it right" (15.5). That could open up a whole can of worms.
Thankfully, we're also given some very obvious examples of wrongdoing, courtesy of Councilman Bruce Grandy (who "allegedly" takes bribes from Mother Paula's to make the E.I.S. disappear). Sometimes right and wrong could be many shades of gray. Other times it's black and white.
Questions About Rules and Order
- Roy doesn't want to get involved in any illegal activity. But he doesn't stop Mullet Fingers from engaging in it. Does Roy have any responsibility to stop him?
- How does Mullet Fingers breaking the law differ from Councilman Grandy breaking the law?
- What if there weren't any laws protecting animals? How could Roy and the gang stop companies like Mother Paula's from building on the land?
Chew on This
Mullet Fingers seems to think that they only way to be effective in stopping the construction of Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House is through trespassing and vandalism.
With guidance from his father, Roy tries to stop Mother Paula's construction by following the rules.