Fallen Chapter 1 Quotes
How we cite the quotes:
(Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote 1
Leaning forward to read the "Prohibited Materials" sign a little more closely, she saw that cell phones, pagers, and all two-way radio devices were strictly forbidden. […] Now she understood this morning's strange demeanor. Her parents were already mourning the loss of contact with their only daughter. (1.19/26)
This is a major step for Luce: it cuts her off from her family and her best friend at Dover. In this moment, she's realizing, for possibly the first time, what it really means to be at Sword & Cross, and exactly what kind of school year she's in for.
Quote 2
The ponytail fell to her feet and Arriane gasped and whipped around. She picked it up and held it to the sun. Luce's heart constricted at the sight. She still agonized over her own lost hair, and all the other losses it symbolized. But Arriane just let a think smile spread across her lips. She ran her fingers through the ponytail once, then dropped it into her bag. (1.102)
The loss of Luce's own hair symbolized a great deal of things: the loss of her beauty and youth, the loss of her status as someone liked by her classmates, and the loss of her own sense of confidence (she prided herself on her beautiful hair). Seeing Arriane take so well to a haircut that Luce finds a punishment is just another way she and Arriane are so different—and it looks like it adds to Luce's fears that she won't fit in here.
Quote 3
He leaned up against the building with his arms crossed lightly over his chest. And for a split second, Luce saw a flashing image of herself folded into those arms. She shook her head, but the vision stayed so clear that she almost took off toward him.
No, that was crazy. Right? Even at a school full of crazies, Luce was well aware that this instinct was insane. She didn't even know him. (1.174-175)
In this lifetime, we see that the draw Luce feels for Daniel is immediate and undeniable, and that's perhaps because her memories from her past lives are strong and unwavering—so much so that she can't believe she can have such a strong reaction to seeing someone for the first time. Does that explain love at first sight?
Quote 4
"That cell block over there is Augustine. It's where we have our so-called Social events on Wednesday nights. And all of our classes," [Arriane] said, pointing to the buildings the color of yellowed teeth, two buildings to the right of the dorm…It was dismally square, dismally fortress like, fortified by the same barbed wire and barbed windows. An unnatural looking gray mist cloaked the walls like moss, making it impossible to see whether anyone was over there. (1.116)
Arriane, ever the helpful tour guide, tells Luce all about the various delights that Sword & Cross has to offer. So far, it sounds absolutely charming, even if it's meant to intimidate and keep its students in line.
Quote 5
"Over here you'll find our state-of-the-art gymnasium," she said, assuming a nasal tour guide tone of voice. "Yes, yes, to the untrained it looks like a church. It used to be. We're kind of in an architectural hand-me-down Hell here at Sword & Cross." (1.139)
In another of Arriane's wonderful tour-guide moments, she points out the church-nasium to Luce, a building that is a combination of religious sanctuary and athletic facility. Only at a place like Sword & Cross would buildings like this exist.
Quote 6
She took in the deep golden hair and matching tan. His high cheekbones, the dark sunglasses that covered his eyes, the soft shape of his lips. (1.173)
We figure out pretty quickly in that light and Daniel are practically the same thing. The initial description of his prefect face is no exception: with his golden hair and skin, he sounds like a sun god. Or maybe a Golden Graham.
Quote 7
"Are you afraid of who you really are, Luce?"
"No," Luce said again quickly. It must be so obvious that she was lying. She closed her eyes. All she wanted from Sword & Cross was a fresh start, a place where people didn't look at her the way Arriane was looking at her right now. (1.108-109)
Luce's desperation to get away from her past—rather than own it and move forward from it—is very apparent here. She sees Sword & Cross as a clean slate, a place where she can remake herself and forget the horrors of her past. What Luce doesn't seem prepared for is the fact that everyone here has his or her own horrors, and everyone is pretty big on sharing.
Quote 8
In typical Callie fashion, she'd gone on so long that Luce's crap phone cut the message off four lines in. In a way, Luce was almost relieved. She didn't want to read about how everyone from her old school had already forgotten what had happened to her, what she'd done to land herself in this place. (1.23)
It's not even five minutes into her new life at Sword & Cross, and Luce already knows that her social standing at her old school is already ruined beyond belief. She can't let her best friend know any more about her new prison. At least not having a phone might get her away from all the gossip that's flying about her.