How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"For you, at a word, the law was brake," said Granny Aching. "Will ye mind that, ye who sit in judgment? Will ye remember this day? Ye'll have cause to." (4.221)
She may just be an old peasant woman, but Grandma Aching has a lot of power over the people of the chalk. She's even able to get the Baron to listen to her—and that's saying a lot.
Quote #2
Things were a lot easier after that. The bailiff was a little less unpleasant when rents were late, the Baron was a little more polite to people, and Tiffany's father said one night after two beers that the Baron had been shown what happens when sheep rise up, and that things might be different one day… (4.225)
Because of Grandma Aching's direction, the Baron knows how to treat his people better. He may be the person who owns all the land, but he knows that Grandma Aching is keeping an eye on him, and that means he'd better behave.
Quote #3
"This is my forest," said the boy. "I command you to do what I say!" (9.59)
Wow. Roland really takes after his father, doesn't he? He pretends that he can command people around, but really he's just stuck in Fairyland like everyone else. He has no chance of getting out without Tiffany's help.
Quote #4
"Tame ones? Tiffany wondered, aloud. "But--"
Who could put a collar around the neck of a drome? Only someone who could dream as well as they could. (9.199-200)
The Queen sure has a lot of power over her subjects. The dromes are so hard to pin down, but somehow she managed to capture them and keep them as pets. How diabolical.
Quote #5
"Still behind you," said the Queen. "This is my world, child. You'll never be as fast as me, or as clever as me. Why are you trying to take my boy away?" (10.161)
Because Fairyland is the Queen's world, she's very powerful in it. She can manipulate spaces, dreams, and creatures as she wishes—which makes her quite dangerous.
Quote #6
And then, after a few moments, he pushed the law book aside and said: "Perhaps we should do this a different way."
And there was a different way, involving people paying a little more attention to Miss Robinson. It wasn't perfect, and not everyone was happy, but it worked. (10.204-205)
Power doesn't always have to be wielded to punish people. The Baron was able to deliver a sentence that made more sense for Miss Robinson, who was just a lonely old lady who stole a baby to have company. He doesn't sentence her to die or go to prison; instead he tries to get everyone to be nicer to her.
Quote #7
"This is my dream," she shouted at the sky. "I've dreamed it dozens of times! You're not allowed in here! And whales don't eat people! Everyone who isn't very stupid knows that!" (12.58)
Tiffany's not going to take this nonsense lying down. She knows that this is her dream that she's in, and that because of that, she should be able to control all the rules.
Quote #8
But, to groans from the cowering pictsies, one of the lawyers produced a big roll of paper from his briefcase. He cleared his throat and read out: "Angus, Big; Angus, Not-as-big-as-Big-Angus; Angus, Wee; Archie, Big; Archie, One-Eyed; Archie, Wee Mad—" (13.111)
Ah, lawyers. They definitely have the power of the law behind them, and the pictsies are rightfully terrified that they're going to be charged with a bunch of felonies. Good thing they've got a croaking trick up their sleeves…
Quote #9
The Queen had no strength, no magic, just one trick. The worst one. (13.157)
The Queen doesn't actually have real power or cleverness—instead she just has the trick that she does with controlling dreams. That's not actually all that impressive once you figure it out.
Quote #10
"Because I'll be there, you see. You'll look up and see my eye on you. I'll be there on the edge of the crowd. All the time. I'll be watching everything, because I come from a long line of Aching people and this is my land." (14.239)
Roland may be the future Baron, but Tiffany's the one who's really going to be looking out for the Chalk. They both recognize the power structure here, even though it doesn't make Roland happy.