How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Stopping [Stu] from touching Tish, that's fine. Rough him, that's okay, too; he'll learn faster. And could have tossed him out. But talking about eliminating for what was honest mistake—well, it's out of proportion. Five bucks each. Ante up." (11.90)
Mannie's verdict shows that violence is the best way to learn on Luna—it's a spare the rod, spoil the child mentality around these parts. Of course, it's a matter of proportion. Can't very well learn your lesson breathing the vacuum of space, can you?
Quote #5
"Oh, not at all! But eliminating isn't against some law; are no laws—except Warden's regulations—and Warden doesn't care what one Loonie does to another. But we figure this way: If a man is killed, either he had it coming and everybody knows it—usual case—or his friends will take care of it by eliminating man who did it. Either way, no problem. Nor many eliminations. Even set duels aren't common." (11.130)
Okay, but really? Really? We're supposed to accept that every act of murder on Luna is sanctioned by the idea that it's deserved—there are no acts of gang violence, no use of violence to intimidate, no unjustified murders of passion or vengeance. We know this book is fiction, but that's a figment of serious imagination.
Quote #6
Six Dragoons were in it. Not satisfied with raping her (if rape it was) they abused her other ways and killed her. But they did not dispose of body neatly; another civil service fem found it before was cold. She screamed. Was her last scream. (13.2)
What the Peace Dragoons do here is clearly a heinous act of violence—no two ways about it—but it is interesting to note that, at this point in the novel, the first and only act of unjustifiable violence is performed by an outsider, not a Loonie. It sets a pattern for violence that carries for the remainder of the story: Moral acts of violence are performed by the Loonies, immoral acts by others.
On the other hand, one could argue that all societies have the tendency to claim justified violence on its own behalf while decrying the violence of others. There's that to consider, too.