How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
If I am honest, my rise to Paris over the next twenty years, it was not as difficult as one would suspect. It was as if some unseen spirit were clearing obstacles and helping me take the path that I believe was always destined for me. (13.1)
Hassan admits that he really doesn't have to fight to get where he's going, since he doesn't face any competition. It's like he's riding one heck of a wave of luck.
Quote #5
I worked hard but made no headway, as the freshness and zeal with which I'd started my work at Le Chien Méchant was institutionalized through constant repetition (13.106)
Hassan's not competitive toward other people, he's competitive toward himself. He wants to be better than he was before and starts to die when he can't one-up his former self.
Quote #6
Just weeks before, Gault Millau had demoted Paul from nineteen to fifteen points out of a possible twenty, a brutal reminder that today's critics and customers were obsessed with the culinary cubism of Chef Charles Mafitte. (14.12)
Paul's death coincides with the fact that he's slowly being run out of town by Chef Mafitte's innovative and flashy new trends. His death is directly related to the fact that competition is a serious part of his job.