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Chapter 21
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Glass Sword, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Oppression, Cruelty, and Inequality
Division and Hierarchy
Identity and Change
Betrayal, Distrust, and Isolation
Justice vs. Vengeance
Summary
Analysis
Mare and Shade stand in a forest with a girl pointing a large pistol at them. When Shade restrains her, she assumes he’s Silver and tries to fight back. She recognizes Mare as the lightning girl, and when Cal questions her, she reveals that she stole the gun from a Silver guard after escaping her cell. Mare guesses correctly that she fled from Corros Prison. The girl, about 15 or 16 years old, is Cameron Cole from New Town. Mare recognizes her name from Julian’s list.
Cameron’s imprisonment in Corros is a clear example of Silver cruelty. Cameron is innocent, but Silvers confined her and constrained her with the threat of violence because of her blood. Hatred of Silvers and fear of the abilities they abuse to oppress Reds have been ingrained in Cameron. Therefore, it doesn’t occur to her that people with abilities—such as Mare and Shade—might not be Silver or her automatic enemies.
Active
Themes
Shade and Mare realize Jon sent them here to find Cameron. Just as she’s done with many other recruits, Mare explains to Cameron that she’s a newblood. She tries to hug Cameron, but Cameron keeps her distance and ignores Mare’s words. Cameron declares she’s heading to the Choke, where her twin brother is being sent to his death along with 5,000 other kids. Cameron says she’s unwilling to abandon her own kind, unlike Mare. Then Cameron tries to run away. Mare decides she can’t allow Cameron to leave, because they need her help to break into Corros. Instead of giving Cameron a choice in the matter, Mare orders Shade to bring her to the Blackrun.
Since finding Cameron turns out to be helpful rather than a trap, Mare’s decision to trust Jon is validated. Mare assumes Cameron will be friendly and eager to cooperate because she’s a fellow newblood, but Cameron detests Mare for neglecting the children of the Little Legion. She believes Mare doesn’t care about Reds’ suffering. When Mare captures Cameron, she treats Cameron with little more respect than Cameron’s Silver jailers did. However, Mare feels that her actions are necessary to save newbloods, so she convinces herself it’s right to take away Cameron’s agency so she can accomplish her own goals.
Active
Themes
On the jet, Mare feels guilty for forcing Cameron to come with them, but she tells herself that Cameron is essential to her mission. Cameron tries to insist that she’s useless, but Mare knows that’s a lie. When Cameron insults Mare for acting bossy and arrogant, Mare puts on a demeanor she thinks Lady Blonos would praise and commands Cameron to tell them everything about Corros. Mare argues that if Cameron cooperates, she won’t be guilty of abandoning the other prisoners to their terrible fates.
Active
Themes
Cameron accuses Mare and the Scarlet Guard of committing thousands of innocent children to death while they themselves hide in safety. She mocks Mare for playing the hero, saving only the “special” people, and abandoning everyone else. According to Cameron, by favoring newbloods, Mare is furthering the division between people of different kinds of blood for her own gains, which makes her no different from Silvers. Cameron snaps, “A hundred years from now a newblood king will sit the throne you built him on the skulls of children.”
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Mare erupts in anger and punches Cameron. But she and Cameron are both surprised that her sparks of electricity, which were out of control moments ago, are suddenly gone. Mare drops to the floor, feeling like she can’t breathe. Cameron is suppressing Mare’s ability, although she doesn’t know how to control it. Cal helps Cameron release Mare, until Mare’s ability and breath finally return. Seeing how scared Cameron is of herself, Mare makes a deal with her: Mare will teach Cameron how to control her ability, and Cameron will help them break into Corros.
Active
Themes
