"Many were thirdlings left at the orphanage by parents unable to pay tax, others the victims of even crueller circumstances"
This quote from the beginning of the book starts the portrayal of a cruel society that's reverberated throughout the book. We already feel the ill intentions, the insanity, and the darkness of the environment surrounding Amy, and we can presume it only gets worse as she gets older and has to journey across the land to prevent getting infected.
"She would not use a gun if she could help it; guns were loud and sloppy and unworthy of the task. She took them on the blade, swiftly, or on the cross, cleanly and without regret, and always with mercy in her heart."
Throughout the book, there are instances of irony within personalities, for example doing evil while being good. Alicia Donadio is one of the key characters that emphasize this principle, the concept of doing the bad so the good won't have to be sacrificed. We see this inner turmoil in almost every character in the book.
"There was something interesting about them, interesting and beautiful, but another voice inside him said that to contemplate this vision, even for a moment, and die."
This quote refers to the almost intoxicating appeal of the Virals. In the book, the plague is portrayed as violent and evil, yet the people that are infected by the virus display alluring characteristics. This keys into manipulation that every character uses in the book. Even the least human characters display some sort of emotional empathy to manipulate, and this continues throughout the trilogy.
