Cinder

Once Dr. Erland discovers that Cinder is immune to letumosis and offers great value to his research, Cinder chooses to continue volunteering with the primary goal of saving Peony. Although her sacrifice can potentially benefit the greater good, her focus remains on Peony. Prince Kai also finds himself in a position of sacrificing for the good of the citizens of the Eastern Commonwealth.

Peony shows signs of letumosis while in the junkyard with Cinder and Iko. Cinder wonders if her possible exposure at the weekly market earlier in the day is the source of Peony’s illness. A reciprocal dislike of her family members—Adri and Pearl—does not extend to Peony, whom Cinder loves and considers her sole human friend. Following her forced participation in plague testing for the purpose of finding a cure—involvement Cinder initially verbally and physically protests—she learns of her special immunity and potential role in finding an antidote. She negotiates her continued role as a test subject so long as Peony receives the second dose of the antidote, should one be discovered. Peony’s life outweighs the discomfort and vulnerability Cinder experiences as part of the research process.

Prince Kai’s sacrifice comes in the form of trading his own happiness for the safety of the citizens of the Eastern Commonwealth. At the young age of 18½, Prince Kai’s father, Emperor Rikan, dies of letumosis, leaving Prince Kai as the successor to the throne. Feeling that he is unprepared for the leadership position, Prince Kai doubts his ability to be an effective emperor, while also dreading the role, which steal away what’s left of his youth. Kai’s primary sacrifice comes in the form of the proposed marriage between Kai and Queen Levana, a marriage wanted by Levana but abhorred by Kai. He only agrees to the marriage to keep the peace, thereby maintaining his country’s safety from a queen that threatens war against the Eastern Commonwealth.

Multiple characters hide their identity at various points in the novel. Cinder hides her identity, knowing how others may treat her if they find out she is a cyborg. She employs specific strategies for doing so, such as closing her eyes so others cannot see her retina display, and wearing her work gloves on a continual basis. Cinder’s use of apparel to hide who she is also includes wearing cargo pants and boots, and being aware of when she needs to shift her clothing to ensure she is fully covered.

Prince Kai conceals his identity while at the weekly market with the use of a hooded sweatshirt. He understands how others view him and although he is liked and admired by many, he wishes to remain inconspicuous when out in public. Two Lunar characters hide their identity, though in much different ways. Queen Levana uses her Lunar glamour to make others think about and see her in desirable ways: adored and beautiful. This type of concealment, unlike Cinder and Prince Kai, covers a darker and negative intention. In contrast to Queen Levana, Dr. Erland, also Lunar, does not use his glamour ability to manipulate, but simply to hide the fact that he’s Lunar. It is illegal for a Lunar to live on earth; for his own safety, he keeps his Lunar identity a secret from others.

Letumosis, or the plague, is a contagious disease without a vaccine or cure. The disease strikes fear in people and results in the infected person being quarantined and destroying that person’s property. Plague, then, is a means by which a person loses their place in society; not only are they physically removed from public spaces, all physical elements of who they were are gone.

The onset of letumosis results in the inevitable and quick death of humans and cyborgs; androids cannot catch the disease. The spread of the disease, without knowing when exposure occurs, adds to societal fear. The first scene that includes letumosis occurs at the weekly market. As Cinder holds down her booth, offering her mechanic services, a disturbance occurs at the realization of the baker’s infection. Those at the market quickly disperse and both Cinder and Iko hide in their closed booth until they can escape without notice, as Cinders knows that others in the vicinity are subject to quarantine.

Both the letumosis and fear associated with letumosis spread as a quick-acting contagion. The Eastern Commonwealth exists under the cloud of the actual disease and fear of the disease. Med-droids that respond to an infected person come equipped with the ability to test a person’s blood on the spot. The quarantine operates not only as a place to keep sick people away from healthy people, but as the holding place until one dies. The fear associated with letumosis also includes the awareness of dying alone, without loved ones around for comfort because healthy individuals are not allowed in the quarantine. 

Prince Kai is the subject of infatuation for many, including Peony and Cinder. His handsomeness and status as royalty are the obvious reasons for such infatuation, but Cinder’s personal interactions with Kai lead to the development of genuine feelings. Cinder and Kai first meet in the market, and then at the palace. These two settings are important, as at the market, Kai is out of his element—it is uncommon for royalty to appear among common citizens in such a way. Conversely, at the palace, Cinder is out of her social element; indeed, she wouldn’t be able to step foot in the dwelling under normal circumstances. In this way, we understand the difficulty of the interclass relationships in the book.

At his insistence, Cinder refers to the prince only as Kai. He appears to take a liking to Cinder, and “hope[s] [their] paths will cross again” (163). Further, he request that Cinder accompany him to the upcoming ball. Although Cinder knows she is developing feelings for Kai and would enjoy attending the ball with him, she declines his request because she’s a cyborg. No human, especially the prince, can or would want to date a cyborg. This concern is validated when Kai sees the holograph of Cinder and all of her synthetic parts and reacts with mild disgust at what he sees, not knowing that the holographic image is Cinder.

Cinder continues to decline Kai’s request, but attends the ball on her own in order to warn Kai about Queen Levana’s plans. Cinder’s fears come to fruition as Kai learns that she is not only a cyborg but also Lunar. He appears confused about his feelings and what actions to take, then ultimately rejects Cinder and questions if his feelings for her were genuine or the result of Lunar manipulation. The novel, then, takes a pessimistic approach to interclass relationships, implying that social status, in the end, will trump romantic feelings and genuine connection.