How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"We tried to ignore the feeling or to fight it off by building more things—bigger rooms, fancier furniture, carpeted hallways, things we did not really need." (22.21)
You probably know someone who has done something like this—bought a fancy car or a new gadget to get rid of the blues. This is an important moment in the story because it shows the rats experiencing human emotions and motivations.
Quote #8
"But why? Why move? We've got a better place to live right now […] I can't understand why everybody talks about changing things." (22.50)
Even though he's no hero, you've got to admit that Jenner has a point. Ever heard that phrase about not looking a gift horse in the mouth? Jenner thinks that Nicodemus is staring so hard into that horse's mouth that he's about to fall in and drag the rest of them with him.
Quote #9
"I say, why start from nothing if you can start with everything? We've already got a civilization." (22.56)
This brings up some pretty big questions about change. If we follow Jenner's logic, then people who want a change should just settle for what they've got. Maybe the point here is that if everyone thought this way, we might not have fire, or wheels, or forks, or reality TV. Talk about a bummer.