How we cite our quotes: (Daysbefore.Paragraph) and (daysafter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
When the firecrackers finished, I heard, "STOP OR I'LL CALL THE POLICE!" And though the voice was distant, I could feel his Look of Doom bearing down on me […]
The Colonel warned us about the police threat, told us not to worry. The Eagle didn't like to bring the police to campus. Bad publicity. (3before.61, 63)
We get a glimpse of how adults deal with the rules and order outside of campus. The Eagle preferring to police his campus without official police involvement? That sounds an awful lot like how the students police their own social realm through pranking without involving the Eagle. Even more dangerous for the Eagle is the empty threat he utters about the police—he's clearly threatened students with the police too often for them to believe his words, almost like the boy who cried wolf. Which makes us wonder how important rule enforcement really is to the Eagle.
Quote #8
The nice thing about the constant threat of expulsion at Culver Creek is that it lends excitement to every moment of illicit pleasure. The bad thing, of course, is that there is always the possibility of actual expulsion. (3before.115)
And here Miles explains quite clearly why he breaks the rules: it leads him closer to his Great Perhaps. Also, it's fun. But the reward also has its risk, and the risk comes to a head when Alaska takes one risk too many.
Quote #9
The Eagle looked at me. He was crying, noiselessly. Tears just rolled from his eyes to his chin and then fell onto his corduroy pants. He stared at me, but it was not the Look of Doom. His eyes blinking the tears down his face, the Eagle looked, for all the world, sorry. (thedayafter.23)
We can only imagine what sort of thoughts and emotions are running through the Eagle's head as he announces Alaska's death because we're stuck with Miles as a narrator. It wouldn't be out of the question though, to think that the Eagle, much like Miles, feels responsibility for Alaska's death. If only he had been stricter, if only he had meted out more punishment, if only… To what extent is the somewhat lax enforcement of the rules at the Creek responsible for Alaska's death?