How we cite our quotes: (Page)
Quote #1
"I got nothing against radicals," he said. "But get this straight. I ain't doin' no time for no kind of outfit. If you belong to anythin', I don't want to know about it. I got a wife and kids and a truck. I ain't doin' no stretch because my name's on somebody's books." (63)
Some people are just not willing to be a Mac or Jim for the cause. Dakin's situation, though hardly luxurious, seems pretty comfortable to those on the outside: he has a shiny new truck, a fancy tent, and lots of swell camping equipment, plus a sweet wife and kids. In short, Dakin has a lot to lose, and he knows it. While he's willing to lend a hand, he's not willing to get dirty. Newsflash for Dakin: in this game, he has to go big or go home. His emotional involvement in his own life makes it impossible for him to tough out the rough stuff and be a true leader.
Quote #2
"What do you want me to do?" Jim asked. "All I do is just listen. I want to do something."
Mac looked around at him and grinned. "I'll use you more and more," he said. "I'll use you right down to the bone. This is going to be a nice mess, from the looks of it." (74)
Mac's banter with Jim is meant to ease his new friend's mind about getting his chance to make a difference in the world. But in hindsight, it's more than a bit chilling. Mac knows that every Party member has to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, but sometimes that isn't just death. In some ways, the bigger sacrifice is giving up ordinary humanity—which Jim is already in the process of doing.
Quote #3
"Well, I'd be out with you guys if I didn't have a business to keep up. A man sees the way conditions is, and injustice, and things—and if he's got any brains he comes to it." (82)
At this point, Al sympathizes with Mac and Jim but feels that he's caught between a rock and a hard place: he can't really support a cause that destroys his bread and butter. As a business owner, Al has to stay on the right side of the law, and in Torgas Valley, that happens to be the Growers' Association. Al represents the situation of the greater part of society in this work: he's not suffering directly, but he wants to help. And yet, his desire to protect his own comfort makes it impossible for him to truly throw his weight behind a cause.