How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"But what I liked best was history. I read about the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans, and the Dark Ages, where the old civilizations fells apart and the only people who could read and write were the monks." (21.7)
Nicodemus is comparing the lives of normal rats to the old civilizations. Does he see himself and his friends as the monks? We think that is a pretty good bet.
Quote #8
"Most of the books were about people; we tried to find some about rats, but there wasn't much. We did find a few things. There were two sets of encyclopedias that had sections on rats. From them we learned that that they were about the most hated animals on earth, except maybe snakes and germs." (21.9)
This is the bummer side of reading. If the rats hadn't ever learned to read, they would never even know that they were so hated. But, on the other hand, at least they are winning against snakes and germs? Even though it is upsetting, the rats need this knowledge to survive.
Quote #9
Books. Her husband Jonathan had told her about them. He had taught her and the children to read (the children had mastered it quickly, but she herself could barely manage the simplest words; she thought perhaps it was because she was older. (11.55)
Mrs. Frisby still doesn't know yet that her husband and children are so quick to read because Jonathan has his DNA altered. She knows she is different than they are, but she comes to the wrong conclusion—that she is just old. Still though, it must mean that she is pretty smart if she can read at all, without the super rodent DNA coursing through her body.