Chapter 24 is the third of eleven chapters which are titled ‘Control’ – for the control room within Jurassic Park, and for the illusion of control which we see stripped away over the course of the book.

Best Writing, Quotes

“Arnold contended, only half jokingly, that the entire world was increasingly described by teh metaphor of the theme park. “

John Raymond “Ray” Arnold, Systems Engineer on Page 161

John Raymond “Ray” Arnold (JurassicWiki) is played in the movie by Samuel L. Jackson, and has some of the most insightful observations about how Crichton views the world and theme parks in this chapter.

Page by Page Highlights, Quotes

“There are no minor details, Mr. Hammond.” – John Arnold, Page 160

“John Arnold was a systems engineer who had worked on the Polaris submarine missile in the late 1960s, until he had his first child and the prospect of making weapons became too distasteful.” – Page 160

“His continuous employment at parks had eventually given him a somewhat skewed view of reality. Arnold contended, only half jokingly, that the entire world was increasingly described by teh metaphor of the theme park. “Paris is a theme park,” he once announced, after a vacation, ‘athough it’s too expensive, and the park employees are unpleasant and sullen.” – Page 161

“And, finally, we have the unprecedented problems of caring for a population of animals that no one has ever tried to maintain before.” – Arnold to Hammond, Page 161 – the first problems being an amusement park, and the second it being a a zoo.

“The animals, however exotic, would fundamentally behave like animals in zoos anywhere.” – Page 162, the core belief of the Jurassic Park team

“The automated fecal analysis (called Auto Poop), designed to check for parasites in the animal stools, invariably recorded all specimens as having the parasite Phatostomium venulosum, although none did.” Page 163 – nearly all of the software systems failed to work as planned.

“Despite what the recording said, Tim saw only one.” Page 164, where the book first introduces the dilophosaurs.

“Along with such living reptiles as Gila monsters and rattlesnakes, Dilophosaurus secretes a hematoxin from glands in its mouth.” – Page 165, Crichton is using technical-thuggery, language full of jargon, to persuade the reader of the threat of the new dinosaur.

“They’re nearsighted, like the rhinos of today, and they tend to be surprised by moving objects.” – Page 166, Triceratops are also boring for the children, who are excited about the promise of seeing a Tyrannosaurus rex.