How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
His memory loss was strange. He mostly remembered the workings of the world—but emptied of specifics, faces, names. Like a book completely intact but missing one word in every dozen, making it a miserable and confusing read. He didn't even know his age. (3.22)
When is memory loss normal? Well, outside of soap opera amnesia, that is. Then it happens with surprising frequency, although usually not to teenagers.
Quote #2
He wished for all the world he could remember something about his previous life. Anything. His mom, his dad, a friend, his school, a hobby. A girl. (3.75)
Is this a bit of foreshadowing? Could the girl be Teresa, or is he just generalizing?
Quote #3
It was just so… weird. He remembered lots of little things about life—eating, clothes, studying, playing, general images of the makeup of the world. But any detail that would fill in the picture to create a true and complete memory had been erased somehow. It was like looking at an image through a foot of muddy water. (5.31)
That's gotta be frustrating, but it's also better than remembering nothing, right? Like, having to re-learn how to eat and walk and talk would've made this whole experiment much more complicated.
Quote #4
"[The Changing] brings back memories. Just little snippets, but definite memories of before we came to this horrible place. Anyone who goes through it acts like a bloody psycho when it's over—although usually not as bad as poor Ben. Anyway, it's like being given your old life back, only to have it snatched away again." (23.27)
No wonder Gally's so grumpy. The Changing sounds pretty awful. It's like being told that you're on your way to Disney World, and then your mom pulls into the parking lot of the dentist's office and says "Gotcha!" (Thanks, Mom.)
Quote #5
Newt pushed open the door, the slight creak once again reminding Thomas of some vague childhood memory of haunted-house movies. There it was again—the smallest glimpse at his past. He could remember movies, but not the actor's faces or with whom he'd watched them. He could remember theaters, but not what any specific one looked like. It was impossible to explain how that felt, even to himself. (27.8)
There're some movies we wish we could forget, areweright? Eh? Eh? :::cough, cough::: Spiderman 3 :::cough, cough:::
Quote #6
"I know you don't remember anything, Thomas! Quit sayin' that—don't ever say it again. None of us remember anything, and we're bloody sick of you reminding us. The point is there's something different about you and it's time we figured it out." (28.27)
To be fair, Thomas is kind of like a broken record. But come on—he's only been there a few days at this point, while everyone else has had some time to adjust to this strange situation. Maybe if they answered some of his questions he'd quit belly-achin' so much.
Quote #7
Stronger recognition briefly tickled the back of his mind—a flutter of wings in a dark corner, unseen but there all the same. It lasted only an instant before vanishing into the abyss of his other captured memories. But he had felt something. (28.64)
Ever have that happen to you? Like when you're meeting someone for the second time and for the life of you, you cannot remember their name? But it's sitting right there, on the tip of your tongue… oh dang it. Nope. Who are you?
Quote #8
Thomas felt a trickle of doubt that life was so great back home—what kind of world allowed people to make kids live like this? The thought surprised him, as if its source had been founded in actual memory, a wisp of light in the darkness of his mind. But it was already gone. (32.18)
How much of his other thoughts must be formulated based on these wisps of memory? Like his feeling that the Glade is a prison—was that based on something he used to know, or just an assumption? Hmmm…
Quote #9
"You mean… you remember me?" he asked, embarrassed at the squeak that escaped on the last word. […] "I remember remembering," she muttered, sitting down with a heavy sigh; she pulled up her legs to wrap her arms around her knees. "Feelings. Emotions. Like I have all these shelves in my head, labeled for memories and faces, but they're empty. As if everything before this is just on the other side of a white curtain." (36.8)
It's funny—Thomas describes remembering things and places, and Teresa remembers feelings and emotions. Linda Richman thinks you should discuss it amongst yourselves.