‘When a multitude speak with one voice, that is strength and that is power.’
Mother Eve's hunger for power becomes evident in this quote. Whereas the quote shows her attempt in unifying the females in the novel, and in particular, the nuns, Alderman on top of using Mother Eve to show the power that women hold, she also uses Eve to bring out her unquenchable thirst for more power. This quote can, therefore, be argued as the reason behind why Mother Eve kills anyone who tries to oppose her religious teachings. In order to amass the power that she longs for, she is ready to commit crimes so as to only have the people who speak one voice under her since she believes in the power in one voice.
"Nothing that either of these men says is really of any great significance, because she could kill them in three moves before they stirred in their comfortably padded chairs"
The theme of power and violence becomes evident in this quote. While in the initial stages of the novel most of the violence had been exerted on the women, this soon changes as most of the power is transferred to the women. The women use this power to exert justice, however, later the power corrupts their morals. This quote by Margot clearly shows how the power had corrupted her to an extent that she sees what the men say as insignificant, worthless and non-substantial. In particular, because Margot has power over the captured men, she feels that using this power to hurt them is not much of a big deal. Moral corruption as a result of too much power is clearly evident from the quote.
“So I teach a new thing. This power has been given to us to lay straight our crooked thinking. It is the Mother not the Son who is the emissary of Heaven. We are to call God ‘Mother.’ God the Mother came to earth in the body of Mary, who gave up her child that we could live free from sin. God always said She would return to earth. And She has come back now to instruct us in her ways.”
The deceptive and manipulative nature that Allie employs in her mysterious works at the temple is evident in this quote. In particular, religious manipulation is evident when utters these words. She twists and employs manipulative and deceptive tactics to get what she wants--power and more power. She goes to the extent of brainwashing the other nuns to get them to believe in her fake religious teachings. Calling God "Mother" in this quote is an ideal example of the ways in which Allie epitomizes deception and religious manipulation in the novel.
"Moldova is the world capital of human sex-trafficking"
In this quote, Tunde Edo brings out the theme and motif of human trafficking that goes on in Moldova. Tunde's disgust in the men, women and child trafficking for either sexual or labour purposes can be argued as Alderman's attempt at showing disregard for sexual trafficking.
