Scythe

by

Neal Shusterman

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Citra Terranova Character Analysis

One of the two teenage protagonists of the novel, the other being Rowan. Seventeen-year-old Citra is quick to anger and, when the reader first meets her, both fears and loathes scythes. She does, however, understand some of the less enticing concepts that Scythe Faraday proposes, such as that everything humans do is pointless now that humans are immortal. Citra is initially angry and distraught when Faraday asks her to be an apprentice, but she accepts the position in the hope that by becoming a scythe, she'll be able to insure her brother Ben's immunity. Though Citra behaves rudely and derisively to Rowan most of the time, she secretly nurses a crush on him. This is complicated by the fact that only one of them can win and become a scythe, and Citra loves to win—though she's not sure she wants to win this competition, as if she does, she'll have to glean Rowan. An extremely loyal person, Citra is distraught and unmoored when Faraday self-gleans and she's taken on by Scythe Curie. Her first few months training with Faraday taught her that not all scythes are good and honorable, so she suspects that Faraday was murdered by the corrupt Scythe Goddard and secretly tries to collect information to prove this hunch. After being accused of murdering Faraday herself, Citra eventually discovers Faraday in hiding and retirement in Amazonia, and he resumes her training. Both Faraday and Curie teach Citra that the most important thing she can do is be compassionate and kind as she gleans. Citra is ultimately the one to receive her scythe's ring and become ordained, and she takes Anastasia Romanov as her Patron Historic. She suggests that by doing this, she can act as a symbol for the future. Citra's persistent crush on Rowan means that she finds a loophole—punching him with her ring—to give him immunity and get out of gleaning him, and she orchestrates his escape from Winter Conclave.

Citra Terranova Quotes in Scythe

The Scythe quotes below are all either spoken by Citra Terranova or refer to Citra Terranova. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Coming of Age Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

The growth of civilization was complete. Everyone knew it. When it came to the human race, there was no more left to learn. Nothing about our own existence to decipher. Which meant that no one person was more important than any other. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, everyone was equally useless.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans, Citra's Mom, Citra's Dad
Page Number: 11
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

She assumed she would go to college, get a degree in something pleasant, then settle into a comfortable job, meet a comfortable guy, and have a nice, unremarkable life. It's not that she longed for such an existence, but it was expected. Not just of her, but of everyone. With nothing to really aspire to, life had become about maintenance.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans, Ben, Citra's Mom
Page Number: 44
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

The idea that not all scythes were good was something neither Rowan or Citra had ever considered. It was widely accepted that scythes adhered to the highest moral and ethical standards. They were wise in their dealings and fair in their choices. Even the ones who sought celebrity were seen to deserve it. The idea that some scythes might not be as honorable as Scythe Faraday did not sit well with either of his new apprentices.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova, Rowan Damisch, Scythe Goddard, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:

"But people could read it. The Scythe Archive is open to everyone."

"Yeah," said Rowan, "like the Thunderhead. People can read anything, but no one does. All they do is play games and watch cat holograms."

Related Characters: Citra Terranova (speaker), Rowan Damisch (speaker), Scythe Curie, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans
Related Symbols: Thunderhead
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

They removed their raincoats to reveal robes of all colors, all textures. It was a rainbow that summoned forth anything but thoughts of death. This, Citra realized, was intentional. Scythes wished to be seen as the many facets of light, not of darkness.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova
Page Number: 127
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

"Every scythe has his or her own method. That happens to be mine. In the Age of Mortality, death would often come with no warning. It is our task to mimic what we've stolen from nature—and so that is the face of death I've chosen to recreate. My gleanings are always instantaneous and always public, lest people forget what we do, and why we must do it."

Related Characters: Scythe Curie (speaker), Citra Terranova
Page Number: 191
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

"We believe in the Great Vibration, and that it will free us from being stagnant."

Stagnant.

It was the word Scythe Curie used to describe the people she chose to glean.

Related Characters: Brother Ferguson (speaker), Citra Terranova, Scythe Curie
Page Number: 227
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

"I was headstrong and stupid in my early days. I thought that by gleaning just the right people at just the right time, I could change the world for the better. I believed, in my arrogance, that I had a keen grasp of the big picture that others lack. But of course, I was just as limited as everyone else."

Related Characters: Scythe Curie (speaker), Citra Terranova, Scythe Goddard
Page Number: 273
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

"But if this really is a scandal in the Scythedom—"

"—then your best possible position would be to achieve scythehood yourself, and fight it from the inside."

Related Characters: Citra Terranova (speaker), Scythe Curie (speaker), Scythe Goddard, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans
Page Number: 319
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 38 Quotes

It was then it occurred to her that every scythe, since the Scythedom began, had to take this test. Every single one of them was forced to take the life of someone they loved. Yes, that person would be revived, but it didn't change the cold-blooded act. A person's subconscious mind can't differentiate between permanent and temporary killings.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova, Ben
Page Number: 410
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 40 Quotes

"Had she lived, who knows what she might have done. Perhaps she could have changed the world and redeemed her family name. I choose to be Scythe Anastasia. I vow to become the change that might have been."

Related Characters: Citra Terranova (speaker), Rowan Damisch, High Blade Xenocrates
Related Symbols: Anastasia Romanov
Page Number: 428
Explanation and Analysis:
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Citra Terranova Quotes in Scythe

The Scythe quotes below are all either spoken by Citra Terranova or refer to Citra Terranova. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Coming of Age Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

The growth of civilization was complete. Everyone knew it. When it came to the human race, there was no more left to learn. Nothing about our own existence to decipher. Which meant that no one person was more important than any other. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, everyone was equally useless.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans, Citra's Mom, Citra's Dad
Page Number: 11
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

She assumed she would go to college, get a degree in something pleasant, then settle into a comfortable job, meet a comfortable guy, and have a nice, unremarkable life. It's not that she longed for such an existence, but it was expected. Not just of her, but of everyone. With nothing to really aspire to, life had become about maintenance.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans, Ben, Citra's Mom
Page Number: 44
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

The idea that not all scythes were good was something neither Rowan or Citra had ever considered. It was widely accepted that scythes adhered to the highest moral and ethical standards. They were wise in their dealings and fair in their choices. Even the ones who sought celebrity were seen to deserve it. The idea that some scythes might not be as honorable as Scythe Faraday did not sit well with either of his new apprentices.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova, Rowan Damisch, Scythe Goddard, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans
Page Number: 79
Explanation and Analysis:

"But people could read it. The Scythe Archive is open to everyone."

"Yeah," said Rowan, "like the Thunderhead. People can read anything, but no one does. All they do is play games and watch cat holograms."

Related Characters: Citra Terranova (speaker), Rowan Damisch (speaker), Scythe Curie, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans
Related Symbols: Thunderhead
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

They removed their raincoats to reveal robes of all colors, all textures. It was a rainbow that summoned forth anything but thoughts of death. This, Citra realized, was intentional. Scythes wished to be seen as the many facets of light, not of darkness.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova
Page Number: 127
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

"Every scythe has his or her own method. That happens to be mine. In the Age of Mortality, death would often come with no warning. It is our task to mimic what we've stolen from nature—and so that is the face of death I've chosen to recreate. My gleanings are always instantaneous and always public, lest people forget what we do, and why we must do it."

Related Characters: Scythe Curie (speaker), Citra Terranova
Page Number: 191
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 22 Quotes

"We believe in the Great Vibration, and that it will free us from being stagnant."

Stagnant.

It was the word Scythe Curie used to describe the people she chose to glean.

Related Characters: Brother Ferguson (speaker), Citra Terranova, Scythe Curie
Page Number: 227
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

"I was headstrong and stupid in my early days. I thought that by gleaning just the right people at just the right time, I could change the world for the better. I believed, in my arrogance, that I had a keen grasp of the big picture that others lack. But of course, I was just as limited as everyone else."

Related Characters: Scythe Curie (speaker), Citra Terranova, Scythe Goddard
Page Number: 273
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

"But if this really is a scandal in the Scythedom—"

"—then your best possible position would be to achieve scythehood yourself, and fight it from the inside."

Related Characters: Citra Terranova (speaker), Scythe Curie (speaker), Scythe Goddard, Scythe Faraday / Gerald Van Der Gans
Page Number: 319
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 38 Quotes

It was then it occurred to her that every scythe, since the Scythedom began, had to take this test. Every single one of them was forced to take the life of someone they loved. Yes, that person would be revived, but it didn't change the cold-blooded act. A person's subconscious mind can't differentiate between permanent and temporary killings.

Related Characters: Citra Terranova, Ben
Page Number: 410
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 40 Quotes

"Had she lived, who knows what she might have done. Perhaps she could have changed the world and redeemed her family name. I choose to be Scythe Anastasia. I vow to become the change that might have been."

Related Characters: Citra Terranova (speaker), Rowan Damisch, High Blade Xenocrates
Related Symbols: Anastasia Romanov
Page Number: 428
Explanation and Analysis: