Gregor and the Marks of Secret
Chapter 27
by Suzanne, Collins,In Chapter 27, Gregor urges Luxa to rest before their impending battle, using humor to persuade her by threatening to involve Ripred. She eventually sleeps alongside Hazard and Boots, while Gregor keeps watch. Ripred wakes the group after four hours, and Cartesian, the mouse, insists on joining the mission to rescue the nibblers, despite Ripred’s objections. Howard intervenes, administering a powerful sleeping potion to Cartesian to prevent him from endangering himself, showcasing the group’s protective dynamics and moral dilemmas.
As the group prepares to split up, Gregor gives Luxa his backpack with essential supplies, emphasizing their mutual care and shared responsibility. Their emotional farewell hints at the gravity of their mission, with Gregor acknowledging the possibility of never seeing his friends again. The moment is poignant, underscored by Ripred’s cryptic advice and Luxa’s lingering presence in Gregor’s thoughts as he departs with Ares, Boots, Hazard, and Temp.
During the flight, Gregor struggles with insomnia, hyper-aware of the sounds around him, including Hazard’s drugged murmurs about secrets. This triggers Gregor’s reflection on the burdens of secrecy, from hidden prophecies to the rats’ atrocities against the nibblers. He dreads the impending revelation of Sandwich’s new prophecy, suspecting it foretells death—either his or a loved one’s—adding to his emotional exhaustion.
The chapter culminates in tension as Gregor and Ares encounter a rat army heading for Regalia, realizing the city is unprepared. Upon arrival, Gregor urgently warns the guards and rushes to retrieve Sandwich’s sword, stumbling upon photos of happier times. The contrast between past joy and present chaos highlights the stakes, leaving Gregor shaken but determined as he braces for the coming battle.
FAQs
1. What strategies do the characters use to ensure Luxa gets rest before the battle, and what does this reveal about their relationships?
Answer:
Gregor insists Luxa rest by threatening to wake Ripred, knowing his incessant talking would force her to sleep. This shows Gregor’s protective nature and understanding of Luxa’s stubbornness. Luxa eventually complies, indicating she trusts Gregor’s judgment. Ripred’s reputation as a chatterbox is used as leverage, highlighting how the group dynamics work—Gregor knows how to motivate Luxa, and Luxa respects his concern enough to yield. This interaction underscores their deep bond and mutual care, even in tense situations.2. How does Howard handle Cartesian’s insistence on joining the mission, and what ethical dilemma does this present?
Answer:
Howard tricks Cartesian into drinking a powerful sleep agent, claiming it’s a strength elixir, to prevent him from joining the dangerous mission. This creates an ethical dilemma about autonomy versus protection. While Howard’s intention is to keep Cartesian safe (as he is weakened and emotional), the deception raises questions about consent and paternalism. Ripred’s half-joking remark about monitoring Howard suggests even allies recognize the moral complexity. The act reflects the harsh choices characters face in war, where safety sometimes overrides individual agency.3. Analyze Gregor’s decision to give Luxa his backpack. What symbolic and practical significance does this gesture hold?
Answer:
Practically, Gregor ensures Luxa has essential supplies (flashlights, batteries) for her mission, showing foresight. Symbolically, transferring his backpack—a personal item he typically guards—represents entrusting her with his resources and his emotional reliance on her. His instruction about changing batteries underscores his worry for her safety. The act mirrors their evolving partnership: he prepares her for challenges while acknowledging her independence. It also hints at Gregor’s fears of not returning, as if passing the torch to Luxa.4. What theme does Gregor’s reflection on “secrets” develop, and how does it connect to the broader narrative?
Answer:
Gregor’s meditation on secrets reveals their corrosive weight—from hidden prophecies to the rats’ atrocities against the nibblers. Each secret (e.g., Sandwich’s coded prophecy, his lies to Vikus) compounds his emotional burden, illustrating how concealment breeds isolation and dread. This ties to the novel’s exploration of truth and deception in war; secrets manipulate fates (e.g., the rats’ genocide) and strain relationships. Gregor’s assumption that the new prophecy demands death reflects his trauma, showing how unresolved secrets fuel paranoia and despair.5. How does the chapter build tension around the impending rat attack, and what does Gregor’s urgency convey about his character growth?
Answer:
Tension mounts through sensory details (claws on stone, distant screams) and Ares’s accelerated flight, emphasizing the unseen threat. Gregor’s panic about Regalia’s unpreparedness—contrasted with the city’s normalcy—creates dramatic irony. His physical pain (swollen knee) becomes secondary to warning others, showing his prioritization of duty over self. His immediate action to retrieve Sandwich’s sword reveals his acceptance of leadership. The urgency highlights his transformation from reluctant hero to proactive protector, willing to confront looming catastrophe head-on.
Quotes
1. “Gregor insisted Luxa try and rest. He didn’t want her going into battle dropping with fatigue. She resisted at first, and he had to threaten to wake Ripred for backup. ‘And then, he won’t shut up until you’re begging to sleep,’ said Gregor.”
This quote highlights Gregor’s protective nature toward Luxa and their playful dynamic, even in tense situations. It also showcases Ripred’s notorious verbosity as a humorous yet effective motivator.
2. “Secret. The very word filled Gregor with weariness. How exhausting it was to keep a secret, to hide a secret, to discover a secret, to know a secret existed and waited for you in the dark.”
This introspective passage captures the emotional toll of the many secrets Gregor has been grappling with throughout the story. It reflects the chapter’s theme of hidden truths and their psychological burden.
3. “He wanted badly to sleep, knew he needed to. But sleep did not come. The darkness made him highly sensitive to sound.”
This quote effectively conveys Gregor’s heightened state of anxiety and alertness as he flies toward Regalia. The sensory description underscores the tension and foreshadows impending danger.
4. “Gregor thought of the unsuspecting city lying in wait, of all the people, of his mom in her hospital bed … and Ares could not go fast enough.”
This urgent passage reveals Gregor’s growing desperation as he realizes Regalia is unprepared for the rat attack. It emphasizes his personal stakes (his mother’s safety) and the looming threat to the entire city.
5. “They were both laughing. He remembered just how happy…”
This abruptly cut-off memory of happier times with Luxa creates poignant contrast to their current dire situation. The unfinished thought emphasizes how much has changed and what might be lost in the coming conflict.