How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph.)
Quote #4
The repeating voices in his head, which he could not shut off—the lack of privacy, under which others ate from his stomach while others sang in his brain—the dreary blank which replaced feeling—the dearth of all but two values—the total monotony more than the wickedness: these had begun to kill the joy of life which belonged to his boyhood. (S.13.86)
Does this ant society sound quite modern? Well, it's supposed to. White is modeling this ant society on communist societies of the 20th century. Wart is sickened by how rigid and non-individualistic the ant society is—not to mention their fight over the imaginary boundary that divides two groups that are virtually the same. Growing up, a child needs to learn that s/he has responsibility to the community, but to get too sucked into the community at the risk of leaving behind one's individuality can quickly turn into a nightmare. Once again with Merlyn's lessons, balance appears to be the key.
Quote #5
The Wart did not like to watch Master Twyti for a moment. The strange, leathery man stood up without saying anything and whipped the hounds off the corpse of the boar as he was accustomed to do. He put his horn to his lips and blew the four long notes of the mort without a quaver. But he was blowing the notes for a different reason, and he startled the Wart because he seemed to be crying. (S.16.70)
Adults don't cry, right? Especially adult men. The Wart is surprised that the Master of the Hunt is mourning the loss of his faithful hound. So, the little ditty he's blowing on his horn (traditionally to signal the death of the quarry) does double duty—it's also a song of mourning for Beaumont the hound. Wart doesn't like to see him weeping, since it's outside the realm of his experience. He's learning, though, that part of growing up is messy and involves being vulnerable in front of others.
Quote #6
"I like fighting," said the Wart. "It is knightly." "Because you're a baby." (S.18.104-105)
Lyo-lyok, the goose, gives Wart a bird's-eye view (literally!) of war. Without boundaries, there is no wholesale fighting. Wart's still a baby, though, and can't see this yet. In fact, he doesn't really understand this fully until the eve before the final battle in Candle.