How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Page)
Quote #1
"Well, I was with [Caspian] on that journey: with him and Reepicheep the Mouse, and the Lord Drinian and all of them […] and what I want to say is this, that I'm the King's man; and if this parliament of owls is any sort of plot against the King, I'm having nothing to do with it." (4.53)
We feel this is a good time to remind you that Eustace is only about ten years old. Still, he understands the importance of loyalty and the consequences of betraying a good friend to an enemy. Though Glimfeather and the Parliament of Owls support King Caspian, Eustace's forthright behavior in declaring his loyalties shows that he wants to live up to high ethical standards.
Quote #2
"That's the spirit, Scrubb. That's the way to talk. Put a good face on it. But we all need to be very careful about our tempers, seeing all the hard times we shall have to go through together. Won't do to quarrel, you know." (5.75)
If Puddleglum had a motto, it would be "Put a bold face on it." He's the type of creature who likes to anticipate the worst and prepare for it, but not because he's morbid. Puddleglum wants to be a certain kind of Marsh-wiggle: prepared, constant, brave, and steadfast. Always embracing the worst-case scenario means that when the worst happens, Puddleglum doesn't budge from his high standards of behavior.
Quote #3
Puddleglum's question annoyed her because, deep down inside her, she was already annoyed with herself for not knowing the Lion's lesson quite so well as she felt she ought to have known it. This annoyance, added to the misery of being very cold and tired, made her say, "Bother the signs." She didn't perhaps quite mean it. (7.101)
Unlike Puddleglum, who spends his life preparing for the worst, Jill and Eustace are not used to real hardship. When they find themselves struggling to survive on Ettinsmoor, they realize that they aren't really as tough as they thought, and neither are they as fond of adventures. So it is that Jill behaves in a less-than-honorable way toward Puddleglum and finds herself less dedicated to Aslan's instructions than she's supposed to be. And she knows she's done badly on both counts.