How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
My father covers his face with his hands, a gesture so sudden and anguished that I take a step back.
"I didn't lose it. […] I destroyed it. That day. He made me promise that I would. He wanted to die on his own terms." (12.28)
So many family-isms packed into these few lines—the shock at seeing a parent break down for the first time and realizing that they don't know everything, the tough choice of fulfilling a family member's wishes versus doing what you believe to be right.
Quote #5
My father sometimes bends the rules for those he loves. For my mother. For Grandfather. (17.43)
Even though we at Shmoop are pretty much always law-abiding citizens, we might bend a rule here and there for those we love, too. Wouldn't you? Protecting your family at all costs is one thing that's not so different about the Society from our own world.
Quote #6
I may be a sorter like my father and my grandfather before me, but I am also my mother's daughter. (21.18)
Despite all the differences between Cassia's society and our own, one thing remains the same—for better or worse, our family has a huge impact on who we become. For Cassia, the struggle between the rebellious spirit she gets from her father and grandfather, and the nurturing side she gets from her mother is something she wrestles with throughout the book.