why the cadet captains hated each other?
I don't think it was about their rank but they purely hated each other like two jr. high school girls! Is there something I missed here? Does the book explain it?
I assume you're referring to Dwyer and Shawn. Shawn's approach to solving problems was to use his rifle, Dwyer preferred diplomacy. That's all there is to it, unless there's a backstory that wasn't in the film.
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Fowler's knots? Did you say ... fowler's knots?