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.
Quote #4
I'm not strong enough to resist this Abnegation-inertia, this fear that drives me down the path my father has set for me. (1.124)
Being confined for long, people start wanting to stay confined. There's something comfortable about it. Like a veal calf kept in a crate, Tobias's will has atrophied. He doubts his ability to survive outside his captive environment.
Quote #5
I have to get out. (1.137) (1.141) (1.146)
We caught at least three instances of this exact line running through Tobias's brain. The repetition shows us how important freedom is to him at this stage.
Quote #6
I open my palm over the coals. I feel like they're burning in my stomach, filling me to the brim with fire and smoke. I am free. (1.183-1.184)
"I am free." These three simple words coupled with the feeling that Tobias is practically turning into a fire-breathing dragon, show us just how empowering newfound freedom can be.
Quote #7
"The Dauntless are all about conformity, just like every other faction. It's just not as obvious here." (2.261)
That newfound freedom is short-lived, huh? How free can you be in a society that values conformity?
Quote #8
"Don't be naïve. […] They don't want a new leader; they want a pawn they can manipulate." (3.219)
Four learns that other factions are just as manipulative as Marcus is in Abnegation. And in this case, the conspiracy to limit freedom runs a lot deeper than just one abusive jerk.
Quote #9
I will not be molded and shaped by Jeanine Matthews. I will not be a pawn, not for them and not for my mother and not for my father; I will not belong to anyone but myself. (3.263)
Four worked hard gaining his freedom, creating a new identity, and basically becoming independent. He's never going back to a life of confinement.