Old School by Tobias Wolff

'And it led to a commandment: Thou shalt not smoke.' (page 29)

This quote stood out to me because in the book, the boarding school is described to be prestigious, well reputed in the introduction but the above 'commandment' was only established after an event that set the entire building on fire and caused thirteen deaths. Being the institution described described so highly in the opening pages of the book, such rule should have been based at the first day in history of the school. It took thirteen innocent young deaths and a building put to ground to regulate such a rule amongst students.

This nevertheless to the narrator, caused a change in his social habit since the meaning of being at the school meant more than satisfying his own needs which implied quitting smoking for his years there.