How we cite our quotes: (Section Break.Paragraph)
Quote #7
It was nothing like being in England. When Dad drove us west for two hours last year we'd ended up in Wales, another country. But there, in the desert, two hours was like driving further into fire. The more we drove, the hotter and redder it became and the more I feared I'd never be able to get out. (40.3)
The United Kingdom is a collection of interconnected countries—you can drive from one to another just like you can drive from one state to another here in America—but the desert is a collection of interconnected sand and rocks, with no societal divisions whatsoever. Gemma expects to eventually come to something because that's the way travel is back home, but it's not going to happen here.
Quote #8
"Listen," you said.
"To what? There's nothing."
"There is. Maybe not shopping centers and cars, but other things … buzzing insects, racing ants, a slight wind making the tree creak, there's a honeyeater up there, scuttling around, and the camels are coming." (41.16-18)
One of the things that disturbs Gemma so much in her initial days in captivity is the silence. Ty, however, shows her that it's not dead quiet—there's just a different kind of noise. As someone who's spent most of his life there, he notices these things. Imagine how shocking the noise of the city must have been to him when he was taken there as a child.
Quote #9
"That's the city—everyone loves to pretend. Especially the rich. Anyway, it's easy to be what people want: give them something to stare at, nod and smile, tell them they're gorgeous." You flashed your best charming grin before you added, "The three steps to money." (50.43)
We've already talked a lot about how Ty's problems with the city largely come from his childhood—but, in a way, this statement is right on. Don't we all pretend? Don't we all think that getting what we want is the secret to happiness? Gemma's parents definitely seem to. We don't get much of a look into their lives in this book, but if we did, we have the feeling we'd find they're actually pretty unhappy people.