How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph
Quote #4
He hoped the committee would be proved right about Bob—hoped his energy and creativity would somehow make up for what looked, on paper, like a lamentable lack of experience. Mr. B shut his eyes and hoped against hope that somehow it would all turn out fine. He had lived long enough to grasp the danger of hope. (3.11)
Wait, isn't hope good? Well, sure. Unless you just sit around and hope all day without doing anything about it.
Quote #5
"I'm dedicating every minute of my life, as usual, to the futile pursuit of order. I am but a humble fisherman engaged in the hopeless task of unraveling the frantic net of despair you have cast upon the victims of your creativity."(18.2)
Poor Mr. B is just like Sisyphus, pushing that rock up the wall. Hopeless. (Psst, Mr. B: not to spoil the ending, but things turn out pretty well for you in the end.)
Quote #6
"What bad things? What are you talking about? I've done incredibly well! Everyone thinks so!" Mona looked away and studied her nails. "If you say so, darling." "Look." He struggled to regain control. "If I'm so completely useless, how did I get to be God?" Mona blinked, face arranged in an expression of genuine sympathy. "Perhaps no one else wanted the job?" Bob sat down hard. That possibility hadn't occurred to him. (22.40)
Considering how obvious it is to everyone else, we wonder how Bob was able to ignore how he failed at everything he planned to do. Oh, right: because he's a lazy teenager. (Don't worry: we know that not all teenagers are lazy. But you have to admit, this one is.)