The 6:20 Man

“The train puttered along with no real ambition, unlike the humans it carried.”

This quotation contrasts the lackadaisical movement of the train with the driven nature of its passengers, offering a metaphor for the human condition. It subtly critiques the relentless ambition that characterizes the lives of the individuals within the novel, implying a misalignment between the pace of life and the internal urgency felt by the characters. The train’s lack of ambition serves as a backdrop to the intense personal and professional drives of the passengers, highlighting the existential rush of humanity in pursuit of its varied goals.

“What they taught you in the world of high finance was simple really: win or lose. Eat or starve. It was a binary choice.”

This quote distills the cutthroat simplicity of the high-finance environment depicted in the novel, where outcomes are stark and the middle ground is nonexistent. It presents the financial sector as a zero-sum game where every transaction and decision can lead to either great success or ruinous failure. This binary framework of winning or losing underscores the novel’s themes of Competitive Ambition and the relentless pursuit of success at any cost.

“Nobody in this world gives you a damn thing. You have to take it, and you take it by working harder than anybody else.”

This quotation highlights the novel’s exploration of work ethic and the meritocratic ideology deeply ingrained in the protagonist, Devine, by his father. It reflects the relentless drive and individualistic pursuit of success that are characteristic of Devine’s world, where personal achievement is the result of ceaseless effort and tenacity.