How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"The best-educated doctor in the world is standing on a low island in the middle of a sea of ignorance. We rattle our medicine sticks and kill our chickens and read message in blood. All of that works a surprising amount of time. White magic." (11.125)
Jimmy Cody is here explaining the limits of science, and arguing that medicine is little more than white magic, rituals performed without really knowing why they work. His idea is that science is just another kind of supernatural, and reason is just accepted superstition. Why not believe in vampires if you believe in headache cures? This is probably the best version of the "there could be vampires" argument in the book.
Quote #8
She found herself thinking of those same drive-in horror movie epics where the heroine goes venturing up the narrow attic stairs… thinking: What a silly bitch… I'd never do that! And here she was, doing it… (11.220)
Again, the supernatural takes its cue from movies. Susan has seen horror movies, but it turns out that even while she's watching, she's skeptical. If only she'd taken them more seriously… or, alternately, if only she weren't a woman. The supernatural only has a limited number of roles for women, it seems. Susan's stuck with hers.
Quote #9
"How do you know so much?"
"I read the monster magazines," he said, "and go to see the movies when I can." (12.57)
Mark knows a lot about monster movies, which is why he's so knowledgeable and so prepared. The supernatural obeys rules, and those rules are the geek rules of monster magazines. Thank goodness the vampires watched Hammer movies; if they didn't, Mark and Ben would really be in trouble.