How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"You can argue […] that Ahab is a fool for being obsessed. But you could also argue that there is something tragically heroic about fighting this battle he is doomed to lose." (2.11.9)
Replace "Ahab" with "Quentin" in this sentence, and Margo Roth Spiegelman can be the whale (Moby Roth Spiegelman). What do you think? A fool, or a tragic hero?
Quote #8
I put aside Margo's blanket and shouted, loud enough for all the rats to hear, "I Am Going To Find Something Here!" (2.12.37)
Quentin is so determined to find something (and going a little crazy from isolation) that he tells the rats he's going to make a discovery. Either that, or he's trying to pull a Cinderella and get them to help.
Quote #9
I leave, and the leaving is so exhilarating I know I can never go back. But then what? Do I just keep leaving places, and leaving them, and leaving them, tramping a perpetual journey? (2.19.25)
There's an inertia that develops whether you're staying in a place or leaving it. Quentin doesn't want to leave his hometown, but once he sees how exciting it can be, he can't stop. But he's not as persistent as Margo Roth Spiegelman is—she seems to want to live this lifestyle forever.