How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
The war had been a wonderful thing for the doctors and he was the lucky guy who had profited by everything they learned. (7.14)
Irony, folks. Yeah, it's great that these doctors can keep Joe alive, but what destroyed him in the first place? Are the doctors actually doing Joe a favor by keeping him alive? Joe isn't so sure.
Quote #5
But when a guy comes along and says here come with me and risk your life and maybe die or be crippled why then you've got no rights. You haven't even the right to say yes or no or I'll think it over. There are plenty of laws to protect guys' money even in war time but there's nothing on the books says a man's life's his own. (10.2)
Joe's talking about conscription here, which is another word for the draft. It's important to remember that conscription and war basically went hand-in-hand until the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970s. But unlike during Vietnam, practically nobody was writing protest songs about it during World War I.
Quote #6
Corporal Timlon got eight weeks hospital leave which was lucky for him because the whole Limey regiment was almost wiped out three weeks later. (12.27)
During World War I, it was considered kind of "lucky" to be moved away from the front because you were just wounded enough not to die. See the sexy and beautiful French movie A Very Long Engagement for more on this, and also if you want to cry for a few hours.