How we cite our quotes: (Chapter. Paragraph)
Quote #4
These outrages need not be especially sanguinary, Mr. Vladimir went on, as if delivering a scientific lecture, but they must be sufficiently startling—effective. Let them be directed against buildings, for instance. (2.104)
Mr. Vladimir hatches his plan for Verloc to stage a bomb attack somewhere in London. Vladimir does this because he really, really hates political radicals, and feels like the English police are too respectful of people's stupid rights. He wants to create a situation in which the police will start rounding up all political dissenters and arresting them, and he feels he can do this if he stages an attack. The fact that he wants the attack to be on a building might make us think for a moment that he respects human life, but in reality, it's just a strategic choice. The most meaningful attacks on society, the book suggests, are symbolic ones. Oh yeah, and Vladimir doesn't care if anyone dies.
Quote #5
He closed the door behind their backs with restrained violence, turned the key, shot the bolt. He was not satisfied with his friends. In the light of Mr. Vladimir's philosophy of bomb throwing they appeared hopelessly futile. (3.47)
Verloc has spent the evening listening to his anarchist friends, hoping to get one of them to plant the bomb for him at the Greenwich Observatory. But he soon gets fed up with his "friends" for just being a bunch of talkers. Here, Conrad gives you an in-depth look at the lazy work Verloc's been doing for the past seven years. Verloc cherishes his lazy life more than anything else, and he's really threatened by the idea of getting a (gasp!) real job. Through this scene of deception, Conrad shows us that anarchists and political radicals tend to be all talk, and the person who's supposedly spying on them from the "lawful" side of society is just trying to protect his laziness. Neither side is all that admirable, since at the end of the day, it's just a bunch of people not doing anything.
Quote #6
His face, averted from the room, expressed a startled, intense interest while he examined closely the triangular piece of broadcloth. By a sudden jerk he detached it, and only after stuffing it into his pocket turned round to the room, and flung the velvet collar back on the table. (5.33)
Here, Heat commits an act of deception by stealing evidence from a crime scene without informing the reporting constable. In fact, he's really careful to hide what he's done, since Heat is a dude who likes to play by his own rules.
In this scene of deception, Conrad again shows how the police try to cultivate an image of themselves as upholders of the law. But in reality, Heat uses deception just as much as (if not more than) the criminals in order to get things done. He's totally the Dirty Harry of London.