Final answer:
The speaker in the quotation is reflecting on personal understanding of a person's harmful behavior and how avoiding being a target oneself can place them in danger instead. It highlights the cycle of harm and the speaker's self-awareness of being potentially the next victim.
Step-by-step explanation:
The speaker of the quotation "I been in bed so much I done some thinking. I know about people. I know about me. And him. He can’t hurt you: but if you stand out of the way he’d hurt the next thing. And that’s me" is a character who is reflecting on their understanding of another person's behavior and the potential threat they pose to others.
It appears the speaker recognizes that someone is a source of harm, and by avoiding becoming a target themselves, they realize the next person in line would be hurt, which happens to be the speaker.
The significance of this statement lies in the acknowledgment of a cycle of harm and the speaker's realization of their position within this cycle. This awareness potentially sets the stage for conflict or a turning point in the narrative.