How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"I knew the dick—MacSwain. […] He had been a pretty good guy, straight as ace-deuce-trey-four-five, till he got on the force. Then he went the way of the rest of them. (11.25)
Dinah tells the Op that MacSwain started off being an honest man but quickly become crooked as soon as entered the police force. What is it about being in Personville that turns a cop into a criminal wearing police uniforms? Do they see too much corruption and become disillusioned, or is the lust for power contagious?
Quote #5
Poisonville was beginning to boil out under the lid, and I felt so much like a native that even the memory of my very un-nice part in the boiling didn't keep me from getting twelve solid end-to-end hours of sleep. (14.77)
The Op has succeeded in setting the four major criminals against each other, and Personville is about to burst at the seams. What is the Op's place in all of this crime? Is he a criminal, too? Does he get a free pass because he's supposedly fighting for justice? How do we determine who's the criminal and who's the good guy?
Quote #6
"Know anything about this Poisonville?"
Dick shook his head. Mickey said:
"Only that I've heard parties call it Poisonville like they meant it." (15.10)
There's an obvious symbolic importance to why the natives of Personville have nicknamed the city Poisonville. When the Op becomes enmeshed in the politics of the town, he notices himself getting poisoned by the lust for blood and power. He almost finds enjoyment out of all the killing and bloodshed. The air in Poisonville must be pretty toxic.