In American Gods –written by Neil Gaiman- the character Shadow, fearing that he’ll be sent back to prison, recalls a memory where he talks with one of his inmates, Johnnie Larch. Johnnie tells him about the time he was released from prison, and because his driver’s licence had expired, he couldn’t board a plane and was sent back to prison for threatening an airport worker.
“And the moral of this story, according to Johnnie Larch, was this: don’t piss off people who work in airports.
“Are you sure it’s not something like ‘kinds of behaviour that work in a specialized environment, such as a prison, can fail to work and in fact become harmful when used outside such an environment’?” said Shadow, when Johnnie Larch told him the story.
“No, you listen to me, I’m telling you, man,” said Johnnie Larch, “don’t piss off those bitches in airports.” (p. 19)
I like this text because it clearly illustrates both Shadow’s and Johnnie’s personalities. Johnnie comes off as crude, blunt, and uneducated, while Shadow comes across as calm, polite, and reserved. This contrast makes the book much more enjoyable to read, as well as allowing me to better understand their motivations and values.