The Twelve
“The Twelve” as the title of the second book in the series is symbolic, and it refers to the main protagonist, Amy. The second book shows Amy’s growth as a human, but also her physical growth, which will lead her to become the Twelve. She makes a final transformation to fight the rest of the original virals, becoming one of them, becoming the Twelve.
The Homeland
The Homeland, as a last large containment of humanity, clearly represents an allegory to governmental corruption and exploitation of power. Guilder, a self-centered and sociopathic individual, is the leader who enjoys the pretense that what he’s done is for the greater cause. He believes that the people of Homeland should be thankful to him, while exploiting their lives for his personal benefit.
Year Zero
Aside from the present time, 97th year of the new age, shown in the sequel, there is also a large section of it that enables a glimpse into the past into year zero, showing individual stories that help paint the larger picture. One of those is the story of Kittridge, a retired marine who made a last stand against the virals, who finds himself in a company of other individuals trying to survive. His story reveals the failure of the government to protect the people, of people being sacrificed so that others can escape, trapping them as bait for the virals. It shows the human helplessness and unpreparedness when faced with disaster of such a scale.
Sergio
“Sergio” is a symbolic name, and it represents the insurgence, the stand against the corruption of the Homeland. It is an extreme measure against the corrupt government and Guilder, showing desperation of individuals who have nothing else to lose. Despite its extremeness, it is a spark of hope for the hopeless citizens of Homeland.
