Nature. Damn hard to beat.
-- Tom (chapter 1)

Importance: Tom’s simple way of expressing his appreciation for the scenery illustrates his down-to-earth character and preference for understatement. He is similarly laconic when pointing out the cruelty – as well as the beauty – of the natural environment. “Nature had it in for the place, bad” is his assessment of Fort Peck and its extreme weather conditions (211). “That’s nature for you,” he comments, when the water levels rise ahead of the fishing derby, “you got to play the hand it deals you” (350). Tom’s stoicism and his ingenuity in planning for the big event cannot prevent the collapse of the dam or the flood that ensues – proving his point that, in more than one sense, Nature is “hard to beat.”

I know, I know; the listening bartender is a standard character, probably ever since Chaucer. But Pop filled the role so completely, those years when...
-- Narrator (chapter 2)