Even I, a pimply young lad handling the bicycle trade . . . knew that my hands were capable of bringing injury or even death . . .
-- Narrator (Pages 396 - 400)

Importance: The narrator's descriptions of his work at the tire shop foreshadow his later decision to sabotage the German officer's tire. Because he has been working with his father since he was young, the narrator understands the importance of his job and the responsibility he has to his clients. At the same, he also knows that he can intentionally cause another individual's death or injury with a simple manipulation. The line is thus an omen of the story's climactic event.

That is why I escaped the fate of certain others of my age, amongst them several friends.
-- Narrator (Pages 396 - 400)

Importance: André's private conference with a French military officer allows the narrator to psychologically disassociate from the war. He does not have to fight in Germany or to work in the labor...