How we cite our quotes: (Chapter, Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Nice bit of engineering, that bridge was," Tam's going on, like he didn't hear me and maybe he didn't, what with how loud he's talking. "Sad to hear it's gone."
"We had no choice," I say.
"Oh, there's always choices, pup, but from what I hear, ye made the right one." (15.58-60)
This whole idea of choice is really tossed around in The Knife of Never Letting Go. Even though Todd spends most of his time and energy mulling choices over in his head, he always seems to think that there's only one option in the end. Tam reminds him that there isn't, that there's always choice.
Quote #5
I press myself back into the little nook but it's really not wide enough for me. I glance round, seeing where escape might lie.
I don't find nothing much.
My knife's gonna have to do it. It's gonna have to act, even if it's against a machete. (19.65-67)
Todd has this weird idea that his knife has a mind of its own—if he kills, it will be the knife's decision, not his. He imposes this weird power on this knife, which in reality only does what he wants it to.
Quote #6
Maybe our story will turn out differently if we take the left fork, maybe the bad things that are waiting to happen to us won't happen, maybe there's happiness at the end of the left fork and warm places with the people who love us and no Noise but no silence neither and there's plenty of food and no one dies and no one dies and no one ever dies.
Maybe. (20.62-63)
Ah yes, the classic dilemma of which path to take. Todd takes a minute and thinks of the outcome of picking what may be the right or wrong path. But this is the type of choice you just have to make, because there are no clues about which one is right. Todd's going to have to pick at random—and hope he survives.