Freedom and Confinement Quotes in Four

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)

Quote #1

I don't know that I would have made different choices if my father hadn't coached me, hadn't controlled every part of my aptitude test from afar. (1.11)

Four's dad, Marcus, is able to control his son no matter where he is. This isn't the result of technology or serum; it's the result of years of abuse that keep Four trapped.

Quote #2

I sprint to the end of the alley and into the empty street, leaping over a sinkhole in the pavement. My loose Abnegation jacket snaps in the wind, and I peel it from my shoulders, letting it trail behind me like a flag and then letting it go. (1.25)

This symbolic stripping of the Abnegation jacket, and the newfound freedom it allows Tobias as he runs, is foreshadowing how he will strip himself of his stifling Abnegation identity later on.

Quote #3

To all appearances, my room is as sparse and clean as every other Abnegation room. (1.86)

Tobias's bedroom is less comforting than a prison cell. No wonder he can't wait to get out of there. It's like escaping from Alcatraz.