Wisdom and Knowledge Quotes in The Ocean at the End of the Lane

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"…We could turn the boy into something else, so they'd never find him, look how hard they might." I blinked. Was that even possible? I wanted to be turned into something. (9.31)

Haven't you ever wanted to know how to do that? Just wake up one morning and—poof—you're a Velociraptor. We want to learn how to do that.

Quote #5

"That'd work, and work well," said Lettie, "if there was any witches involved in all this. But there's not." (9.41)

Confirmation that the Hempstocks are not witches—hallelujah. Anyway, read up on this saying, it's pretty neat.

Quote #6

"Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are things people are scared of. Some of them are things that look like things people used to be scared of a long time ago. Sometimes monsters are things people should be scared of, but they aren't."

[…]

"Oh, monsters are scared," said Lettie. "That's why they're monsters." (10.44-46)

Here's another example of how knowledge can equal power. If you know that monsters are acting out of fear, doesn't it make them a little less scary? Obviously, they might still be huge and violent and angry, but understanding their motivations takes away a little bit of the element of the unknown.