How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I know. I cannot go gently now. Not even for the sake of my parents, my family. (21.79)
Just like Grandfather, who could not go gently on Society's terms, Cassia, armed with new knowledge rooted in his parting gift, can no longer live according to Society's terms. It's one thing to fall in line when you know no other option, but quite another to fall in line when you know what else is out there.
Quote #8
The maple trees have become too much of a problem. The leaves get too messy in the fall. They're not growing uniformly […] And some of them have diseases, so they all need to be chopped down. (23.14)
They may just be maple trees, but this is a pattern throughout the book—any lack of uniformity or divergence from the norm is a threat to the system and must be quashed. Think: Aberrations, red tablets, the fighting in the Outer Provinces.
Quote #9
"We can also guarantee a high quality of life up until the very last breath. Do you know how many miserable people in how many miserable societies over the years would have given almost anything for that?" (30.87)
Cassia's Official offers a hint as to why all the rules came to be—a high quality of life. Is this life, where there are no dangerous people, diseases, or real threats to a person's well being, high quality? Cassia starts her journey believing wholeheartedly that it is, but as soon as she sees the other option, she changes her mind.