Canto 7&8

Canto 7
1. "Why do you squander? Why do you hoard" (pg. 67). This line shows us that there is a fine balance between spending too much and not spending enough. Some of these souls chose to live their lives more fully than they had a right to and some didn't live their lives enough to have any kind of gratification. The fact that they are cursed to fight each other in death shows us that the author thought of these different personality types as being unchangeable. Someone who hoards will always hold on to what he has and never share, and the squanderers will always be giving away more than they have.
2. "like a snake in the grass" (pg. 71). This serves as a warning to Dante. So far, he has witnessed many sins, but the one he has the most trouble understanding is the hoarding and squandering. Virgil reprimands him for already having an idea in his head as to who these souls are. The author does this to show that there is a very fine balance. The hidden snake shows us that this is one of the sins that we need to be most careful of because it can sneak up and strike without our notice.
Canto 8
1. "Let him retrace alone his foolish way -try if he can!" (pg. 81). This shows us how out of place Dante is in Hell. It also serves as a parallel between Dante and the heroes who once travelled through on their own errands. Each of the living souls who pass through Death meet with some kind of resistance from the dead souls. In this case, the souls even serve to discourage Dante's guide a little bit. This shows us either that Dante isn't as strong as the heroes of old, or that the souls in death are getting stronger and more resistant with time.
2. "None can deprive us of the passage One has willed for us to have." (pg. 83). Virgil is telling Dante not to get frustrated because the dead souls are giving them trouble. They can't stop him from travelling on if it is what is fated to happen. The author uses this to show the reader that the only way a soul can become trapped in Hell is by their own doing.