How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The half-time contained a thirty-second advert for honeyed nougats. Within the hour, several free-lance marketing analysts reported a spike-surge of nougat sales, beginning three minutes after the advert. That single advertisement had repaid its sponsor one hundred times over. Such was the stuff of dreams—at least for those unwholesomely fixated on the marketing arts. (Prologue.13)
This is the little bit of manipulation that kicks off the whole spy plot: an advertisement that works a little too well. But after all, this is what ads are all about—getting people to do something that you want them to do. Only, thanks to technology, this sort of manipulation can become virtually mind control.
Quote #2
The rabbit touched its nose. "I will be the soul of discretion. I always know much more than I reveal. But you three really should improve your performances. Mr. So-German is just an out-of-date stereotype. And you, senora, the work of impressionist art reveals nothing and everything. Who might have a special interest in the San Diego bio labs? Who indeed? And as for you—" Rabbit looked at Vaz. "That's a fine Colombian accent you're hiding." (1.41)
Manipulation is very closely related to "Language and Communication." Only when you're manipulating someone, you're trying to communicate something not quite true (or not quite the whole truth). So when Braun, Mitsuri, and Vaz meet Rabbit, they leave some clues so that Rabbit mistakes them for South American ex-drug lords. But it's still pretty funny that Rabbit accuses Braun of being stereotypically German, when, in fact, Braun was just being himself (1.51). In this case, it seems like Rabbit is like one of those guys who so mistrusts other people that he'll think you're lying even when you're telling the whole truth.
Quote #3
"Anything you do in this class will be a favor for the others here. I hope you'll stay, help them. Rework your poem with some student's visuals. They can learn from you—and you can learn the skills that will make the world a more comfortable place for you."
Robert gave her a little smile. There would always be cretins like Louise Chumlig. (6.46-7)
As we've learned in Chapter 4, Louise Chumlig is more than she appears. We've already seen that she's working with Rabbit, who has particular interest in Robert (4.131). So when Louise tells Juan that he should collaborate with someone who is good with words (6.12); and then tells Robert that he would be doing the students a favor by staying—well, it seems like she's very subtly manipulating them to work together. How subtly? So subtly that Robert still thinks of her a cretin.