How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I wanted to call myself Jack, after Jack London. I believed that having his name would charge me with some of the strength and competence inherent of my idea of him." (2.2)
Right off the bat, Jack's focused on his masculinity, to the point of wanting to change his name to be more of a man. It's also interesting that his ideal version of what a man should be is a writer.
Quote #2
"The rest of us carried on. We did so in a resolutely innocent way, without ever admitting to ourselves what the real object was: that is, to bring somebody down." (2.11)
Jack's suggesting that masculinity is a social construct here, something they adopt to impress each other. Is it just another mask for him, another fake identity to put on? Or is it more?