Quote 1
"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 2
"It's Noonan you chiefly want, isn't it? Well, if you'll be a nice darling and lay off Max this time, I'll give you enough on Noonan to nail him forever." (13.12)
Dinah is trying to sell information on Noonan to the Op. What's Dinah's role in this world of cutthroat, dishonest men? How does she bend or play with the rules to get what she wants?
Quote 3
"I can give you the stuff, brother, loads of if, and don't think I can't. I'm a girl who knows her Poisonville." (10.83)
Dinah may be the only major female character in the novel, but she's not too lady-like to participate in some of the money grubbing either. When she sees that the Op is serious about his mission to cleanse, she hopes to cash in on her knowledge about the class workers.