The implication is that Nostromo would let Dr Monygham die rather than give him the information that would save him: the location of the silver to hand over to Sotillo. Again, Nostromo's motives are ambiguous: his selfish clinging to the silver (selfish in the literal sense, as representing his last integrity of self) balanced by his humanitarian concern that Decoud not be betrayed to his enemies.

And again, on the symbolic level Nostromo is rejecting out of hand the movement of the dream-ideal back "ashore," i.e., its use as a socially unifying force. The People are determined to to hoard their dream-ideal of individual fulfilment regardless of the human cost. Teeth in Nostromo are symbolic of ferocity.