How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Volume.Chapter.Section.Page). We used the 50th Anniversary Edition published by Signet Books in 2007.
Quote #4
[Robin Hood] is the man who became the symbol of the idea that need, not achievement, is the source of rights, that we don't have to produce, only to want, that the earned does not belong to us, but the unearned does. (2.7.2.99)
Pirates vs. Ninjas are out – here it's pirates vs. Robin Hood. Ragnar feels that the Robin Hood myth has been abused and now celebrates "need" over achievement. Achievement is a way of earning something, while need is a way of getting something for free.
Quote #5
"I do not wish to work in a world that regards me as a slave. I do not wish to be of any value to people. If I succeeded in rebuilding the motor, I would not let you place it in their service. I would not take it upon my conscience that anything produced by my mind should be used to bring them comfort." (2.9.1.151)
Quentin Daniels defines what the strike is all about here. He feels it would be immoral for him to cooperate with the "looters," so he's like a conscientious objector.
Quote #6
"I do not seek the good of others as a sanction for my right to exist, nor do I recognize the good of others as a justification for their seizure of my property or their destruction of my life." (2.4.2.73)
At his trial, Hank refuses to recognize the court's right to judge him. He implies that selfishness is a virtue here by saying that he doesn't exist for "others."