Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.
-- Will (chapter 5)

Importance: Will references Walt Whitman, and in doing so evokes an allusion that characterizes the brothers as intelligent, but also as multidimensional beings. Will makes the claim that no one is identified by a single characteristic, but instead is full of complications and internal paradoxes. This particularly brings to mind Chambers, with whom Jack has an intense rivalry but also a begrudging mutual respect due to his conflicting qualities.

He did a better job even though he was a sergeant and I was a lieutenant."
-- Narrator (chapter 7)

Importance: This quote highlights the thee of rank versus ability, and indicates that although Jack is the superior officer, he is lacking in qualities that lower ranking soldiers possess. This becomes especially important later, as Jack begins to question the decisions of his superiors and increasingly relies on the loyalty of...