How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"He was astute enough to be the first to call the left "the enemy of democracy," never suspecting that years later that would be the slogan of the dictatorship. (10.50)
Esteban Trueba's astuteness lies not so much in the veracity of his claim, but in the usefulness of his statement as political slander. It's ironic that the phrase will later be adopted by the dictatorship – clearly not a democratic institution. (By the way, notice how Allende uses the technique of prolepsis here by talking about something that hasn't happened yet? Check out "Writing Style" for more.)
Quote #8
"This is a democracy. It's not a dictatorship and it never will be."
"We always think things like that only happen elsewhere," said Miguel, "until they happen to us too." (11.16)
Miguel is a pretty perceptive guy. His observations about how politics work in his country tend to be right on the money. Turns out, he's right in this case, too.
Quote #9
"I told you we'd win, Miguel!" Alba said, laughing.
"We've won, but now we'll have to defend our victory," he replied. (11.6)
As usual, Miguel doesn't let himself get carried away in the celebration of the Socialist win. It's a bit of a downer to remind Alba that their victory isn't necessarily secure, but Miguel is right…as usual.