Loyalty Quotes in The Forest of Hands and Teeth

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

She was only testing me. Seeing how far I was willing to twist her trust and my own loyalty. (8.38)

Yes Sister Tabitha pulls Mary's strings, but in the end, who's the foolish one—Mary or Sister Tabitha? If Mary had minded her own business, would things have turned out differently for the village? For Gabrielle? Or was Sister Tabitha the real villain after all?

Quote #5

I am waiting for him to push me away and tell me that we cannot do this. That I am not his to take and that he will not betray his brother. (10.27)

Oh, Mary and Travis. For them, being together means betraying everything they are loyal to in their lives: family, tradition, friends. Mary's willing to do it—or at least, she says she is. She didn't refuse Harry, though. Travis thinks he's willing to do it—until he catches a glimpse of the super-zombie. We'll never really know if either of them would have gone through with their plan in different circumstances.

Quote #6

The sister takes two steps toward her brother, grabs his arm and tugs, but she's too small and weak to drag him. The Unconsecrated approach and the boy struggles against his sister, batting her little hands away, pushing her toward the platforms. (14.18)

Here's a case of classic familial loyalty: a little sister trying to help her brother, and a big brother willing to die to save his sister. The irony remains that after his heroics to save her, he's the one who survives.