Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Cinder, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Bravery and Sacrifice
Power, Greed, and Evil
Stereotypes and Discrimination
Secrecy and Manipulation
Resourcefulness, Kindness, and Perseverance
Summary
Analysis
Li reports to Dr. Erland that Cinder’s condition has stabilized, and that they can expect signs of stage two the following morning. Before they leave, Dr. Erland and Fateen observe Cinder’s biometric holograph, noticing that Cinder has a chip plugged into her nervous system. As they look at it, they start to notice that the letumosis microbes they injected into Cinder are disappearing. Dr. Erland is astonished, and he tells Fateen that if all of the microbes disappear, she should take Cinder to lab four so he can speak with her.
The fact that Cinder is healing from the letumosis foreshadows the fact that she may not be exactly who and what she seems. Dr. Erland and Fateen’s surprise at Cinder’s apparent immunity to the plague implies that there’s something special about Cinder that not even she is aware of. If this is the case, there may be secrets being kept about Cinder’s identity, and this lack of knowledge could end up hurting her.
Themes
