Quote 1
"What about your faith in the power of transformation?" Cam asked, fingering the shed skin. "That's what we're here for, after all." (7.70)
While not exactly a religious moment, this scene between Cam and Luce has religious undertones—as well as mention of a snake, which is a clear Bible reference. Still skeptical? Let us break it down. They're in a sort of garden, Cam has just fed Luce an apple, and now he's holding a snakeskin. Garden of Eden, anyone? On top of that, Cam's question about transformation might have more to do with his hope that Luce will rewrite her love story and join his side instead of Daniel's, which is all the more sinister when we consider that by spending time with Cam, Luce doesn't really know what she's signing up for.
Quote 2
"Speaking of waiting for the right time," he said, "I was out the other day and saw this." He produced a small red velvet jewelry box and held it open for Luce to see.
Penn nudged around Luce's shoulder so she could get a look.
Inside, a think gold chain held a small circular pendant with a carved line down its middle and a small serpent head at the tip. (10.10-12)
More serpent imagery from Cam—surprise, surprise. This scene brings full circle how snakelike Cam really is: he's trying to charm Luce with trinkets, and while the idea of giving someone you like a gift is a nice gesture, the snake imagery is too much for us. #overit
Quote 3
"What about your faith in the power of transformation?" Cam asked, fingering the shed skin. "That's what we're here for, after all." (7.70)
Cam's words have a clear double meaning, especially given the imagery of him holding a snakeskin. He could even be alluding to Luce's entanglement in all of these events, given that he knows that she transforms every seventeen years into a new version of herself. But for now, Luce can infer that he's talking about transforming into a better person, one who doesn't have guilt crushing his or her conscience.
Quote 4
Cam turned to her and smiled. "What's your poison?"
"I don't care," Luce said. "I don't really have a poison."
"You were drinking champagne at my party," Cam said. "See who's paying attention?" He nudged her with his shoulder. "Your finest champagne over here," he told the bartender, who through back his head and let out a snide hacking laugh. (15.52-54)
To bring the Cam + food = danger equation full circle, here we have him bringing Luce to a legitimately dangerous place to talk to her, a seedy bar called "Styx"…like that's not ominous. In this chapter, a few important details become clear: Cam can get in and out of Sword & Cross at will, he has disposable income to get himself and Luce to these places (hello, hired limo), and he thinks he can browbeat Luce into liking him with fancy things. On top of this, he does steamroll Luce with flirting and promises of delectable food and riches, things she chooses to accept because she likes his attention. But here Luce decides that it's all too much, and that Cam's promises can only go so far. He can't make her happy.
Quote 5
"Can't live on bread alone, can you?" [Cam] asked. (9.14)
This is a direct reference to a line from the Bible, a line that appears in different places and in different iterations, but the gist is that humans need more than just the basic necessities—they need meaning, too. Here, Cam is using the quote jokingly—he's offering Luce worldly goods beyond the basic ones. Yeah, Cam, the Bible certainly wasn't pushing for more materialism…