How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"[…] they were teaching us how to read. The symbols under the picture were the letters R-A-T. But the idea did not become clear to me, nor to any of us, for quite a long time. Because, of course, we didn't know what reading was." (17.26)
Learning to read is hard enough when you know what reading is. Just imagine how hard it is when you have no idea what it means or what it can do for you. After all, these rats never had anyone read them bedtime stories. Their journey towards literacy must be triple tough in that case.
Quote #2
"Oh, we learned to recognize the shapes easily enough, and when I saw the rat picture I knew straight away what symbols would appear beneath it […] I even learned that when the photograph showed not one but several rats, a fourth shape would appear under it—a snaky line—and the sound with that one was 'ess- ess- ess.' But as to what all this was for none of us had any inkling." (17.28)
At this point, the rats remain confused. Why are these weird humans showing them all these pictures and making all these weird sounds at them? Because the rats have never heard of reading, they don't yet see the value in what they are learning. Not yet, that is…
Quote #3
"The top line of black marks on the wall were instantly familiar: R-A-T-S; as soon as I saw them I thought of the picture that went with them; and as soon as I did that I was, for the first time, reading. Because of course, that's what reading is: using pictures to suggest an image or idea." (17.34)
This description of reading is pretty profound if you ask Shmoop. Once we know how to read, we often take it for granted. But Nicodemus's world is so transformed by his ability to read, that there is no way he'll forget what it was like.
Quote #4
"About half an hour after they left that night, Justin said: 'I'm going to try now.' I heard a scuffling noise, a click and a scrape of metal, and in a matter of seconds I saw his door swing open. It was as simple as that—when you could read." (17.51)
Symbol alert! That nasty cage symbolizes captivity. Know what sets Justin free? His ability to read. Tasks that before would have been impossible now seem within reach to the rats.
Quote #5
"By teaching us how to read, they had taught us how to get away." (18.1)
This is pretty ironic, because getting away is exactly what the NIMH scientists do not want the rats to do with their knowledge. Total backfire. In literature, having the ability to read is often associated with freedom, and this is no exception.
Quote #6
"This was a large rectangular room, with walnut paneling, a walnut desk, leather chairs, and walls lined to the ceiling with books. Thousands of books, about every subject you could think of. There were shelves of paperbacks; there were encyclopedias, histories, novels, philosophies, and textbooks of physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, and others, more than I can name… Well, we fell on those books with even more appetite than on the food and in the end, we moved into the house and stayed all winter." (18.27)
Have you ever described a room in this much detail? Nicodemus describes the library with love and affection because it contains all the knowledge that they need. Most rats would probably set up shop in the kitchen or chew holes in the books. It's starting to seem like these rats are more human than rat. Hmmmm…
Quote #7
"But what I liked best was history. I read about the ancient Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans, and the Dark Ages, where the old civilizations fells apart and the only people who could read and write were the monks." (21.7)
Nicodemus is comparing the lives of normal rats to the old civilizations. Does he see himself and his friends as the monks? We think that is a pretty good bet.
Quote #8
"Most of the books were about people; we tried to find some about rats, but there wasn't much. We did find a few things. There were two sets of encyclopedias that had sections on rats. From them we learned that that they were about the most hated animals on earth, except maybe snakes and germs." (21.9)
This is the bummer side of reading. If the rats hadn't ever learned to read, they would never even know that they were so hated. But, on the other hand, at least they are winning against snakes and germs? Even though it is upsetting, the rats need this knowledge to survive.
Quote #9
Books. Her husband Jonathan had told her about them. He had taught her and the children to read (the children had mastered it quickly, but she herself could barely manage the simplest words; she thought perhaps it was because she was older. (11.55)
Mrs. Frisby still doesn't know yet that her husband and children are so quick to read because Jonathan has his DNA altered. She knows she is different than they are, but she comes to the wrong conclusion—that she is just old. Still though, it must mean that she is pretty smart if she can read at all, without the super rodent DNA coursing through her body.
Quote #10
"MECHANIZED RATS INVADE HARDWARE STORE." (24.37)
This quote, from the newspaper article about the dead rats in the hardware store, is a dead giveaway to the rats that the folks from NIMH are on the hunt for them. Their reaction to it (that it doesn't quite makes sense) also shows how skillful they are at reading and using logic. Not only can they read they read words, but they can read into the deeper meanings behind those words.