How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
But he stank, and for some reason that set his nerves on a sharp wire, cutting into the solid block of his sanity. (1.6)
Want to know something that'll make you go insane even if you don't have the Flare? Smelling bad. You just can't ignore that, folks.
Quote #2
The madness took away every ounce of what made him who he was—what made him human. (9.8)
As Thomas describes it, this is how the Flare affects people: it strips them of their humanity, and everything that once made them human no longer functions. Yeah, that's a bit depressing.
Quote #3
Cranks who had lived with the Flare infection so long that it had eaten away at their brains until they were completely insane. Almost like animals in human form. (15.6)
Like we said earlier, people who are past the "Gone" are pretty much animals. But they're still human. So basically, they're animal-humans, which are super scary.