How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
And I realize why they didn't have us take the tablets when something happened to the first Markham boy: because we needed to remember how dangerous Anomalies can be. How vulnerable we would be without the Society to keep them all away. (29.70)
Mind you, red tablets are only used selectively. The Society allows its citizens just enough knowledge to be utterly terrified of life without its safety net. Makes you wonder whether Society purposely allowed the Anomaly to kill the Markham boy, doesn't it? Hmmm…
Quote #8
"I suppose they don't want those of us who saw the rogue crops to continue working in positions of authority," my mother says. "We know too much. We might be tempted to do the same." (30.24)
What to do with anyone who catches hint of a rebellion? Take away any remaining control they have over their own lives and remind them who's boss. Once Cassia's mom learns too much about rebellion in other provinces, she's stripped of her job title and sent away to the farmlands.
Quote #9
"We decided to put Ky into the Matching pool," she says. […] "What's important for you to know is that we were in control of the experiment all along." (30.100)
Even the one thing Cassia thought she did despite the Society's power over her turns out to have been controlled by them—and they're thrilled to let her know about it. Imagine how awesome that must feel.