"We've known for a long time that it was no longer possible to overturn this world, nor reshape it, nor head off its dangerous headlong rush. There's been only one possible resistance: to not take it seriously."
Ramon ends the book with this quote. As the eldest of the group, he's already devoted much of his life to active opposition of political oppression. He interprets the signs of political unrest, but he no longer believes in his own ability, as an individual, to effect change; rather, he chooses to fashion his life around a deliberate humor and humility. He doesn't take life seriously, viewing this attitude as compulsory and mandatory according to his personal convictions.
"How to define the eroticism of a man (or an era) that sees female seductive power as centered in the middle of the body, in the navel?"
Alain poses this question to his fellows while pondering the development of sexual attraction within a socio-historical context. He asserts that navels are the most universally attractive feature of a woman because they are so similar from one person to the next. His theories are suitably to his era but do not reflect a survey of historical precedent.
"In my unbeliever's dictionary, only one word is sacred: 'friendship.'"
The narrator, as a seemingly more powerful being than his subjects, delivers this assertion near the front of the book. He sets up a conversation of friendship, framing the main drama of the narrative within the context of relationships. As the story progresses, however, the narrator's intent becomes clear -- he believes in loyalty more than vulnerability. His definition of friendship appears to connote long-lasting relationships, not so much the passionate, intimate kind of relationship among friends. His brand is more deliberate.
"Insignificance, my friend, is the essence of existence."
Ramon believes that not taking life seriously is the secret of living happily. In other words, he no longer allows himself desire to change his circumstances. He looks at his role in the world as insignificance, simultaneously providing relief to the natural human desire to assert superiority as well as removing his impetus of social responsibility. For Ramon, the ultimate defiance is considering oneself insignificant.
