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He had to trust a stranger to do the right thing. It was impossible, like loving the one who wanted to destroy you, but that was the message of the movement: to trust in the ultimate decency that lived in every human heart.
This quote, from Chapter 14, comes right before Elwood puts into motion his plan to expose the academy. Elwood debates whether relying on a stranger to get the news of Nickel’s wicked operations out into the public is a worthy endeavor. Elwood’s conclusion—that he must trust a stranger’s capacity for kindness—represents his true character as someone who holds hope for humanity. Even though many others have tried to force this mindset out of Elwood, he has persisted in being true to himself.
More than once Elwood caught himself swinging the scythe with too much violence, like he was attacking the grass with a leather strap. He'd stop and tell his heart to slow down.
This quote comes from Chapter 8 when Elwood is assigned to work on the grounds crew after healing from his beating. Violence is the defining law of Nickel. Both violence from the staff toward the students and violence between fellow students are hallmarks of life at the academy. But Elwood is not a violent person. Even swinging an agricultural tool with too much intensity causes him to be concerned. This contrast between Elwood and the other boys sets him apart as sympathetic and prone to intellectual reason rather than physical aggression.
Violence is the only lever big enough to move the world.
In Chapter 8, Elwood starts to understand the guiding principle of not only Nickel but the world in general: indiscriminate violence. Elwood learns that violence is the way the boys and men at the academy communicate with each other and navigate the world, and after his beating, he realizes the abuse rarely has rhyme or reason. As Elwood returns to regular life at Nickel, the randomness of both the disciplinary measures and merit system becomes apparent to him: no matter how hard Elwood tries, he will never get ahead. His agency is an illusion.
