How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I wondered what he meant when he said he'd tapped into my history. Where was it located exactly? Some state or federal agency, some insurance company or credit firm or medical clearinghouse? (21.378)
When a dude from SIMUVAC tells Jack that he's "tapped into" Jack's history, Jack doesn't know what's going on. He can't tell if the guy's talking about medical records, credit card bills, or what have you. But the real question being raised here is about Jack's identity. Jack doesn't really know who he is out in the world of computers. For all he knows, his whole life is just a giant record of data. But according to the SIMUVAC guy, that data is the real Jack Gladney.
Quote #8
WARNING. Do not write down your code. Do not carry your code on your person. REMEMBER. You cannot access your account unless your code is entered properly. Know your code. Reveal your code to no one. Only your code allows you to enter the system. (37.200)
When Jack walks up to an ATM, he suddenly has a weird moment where he's wondering about his identity. After all, what's a guy without his bank code. If he's just some guy, then he can't enter the ATM's system. It's only his access code that allows him to exist, as far as his money is concerned. This experience makes Jack start to wonder about who he actually is without his code. After all, in the great system of everyday life, who are we, other than the person that other people see? Who are we, other than the messages we're always trying to send other people about ourselves?
Quote #9
"We are your lunatics. We surrender our lives to make your nonbelief possible. You are sure that you are right but you don't want everyone to think as you do. There is no truth without fools." (40.150)
A sassy nun lays down the law with Jack when she tells him that neither she nor any of the nuns working at a hospital actually believe in God. The news devastates Jack, even though he's an atheist. The reason the news is so harsh is because Jack likes to build himself up as an intellectual by making fun of irrational religious people. In other words, he needs them to be irrational so he can go on thinking of himself as a rational atheist. The thought of no one actually believing in God anymore scares him, though, because he bases his identity on the fact that he's smarter than religious people.