One of the main themes in Delirium is deception. The government has been lying to society ever since they built the Cure. After being told the same facts over and over again by seemingly reliable sources, people start to believe those facts, which occur in Lena's world. The government has brainwashed society into thinking that:
1. The love cure is beneficial and necessary for everyone.
2. The Wilds are dangerous.
3. The government is always right.
4. The government does what is best for a nation's people.
5. Getting regularly examined by regulators.
This is shown in the following quotes:
1. The love cure is beneficial and necessary for everyone.
2. The Wilds are dangerous.
3. The government is always right.
4. The government does what is best for a nation's people.
5. Getting regularly examined by regulators.
This is shown in the following quotes:
"They want to know about your personality, yes, but the more generalized your answers the better chance you have of being considered for a variety of positions." (14)
In this scene, Lena's aunt is telling Lena to be herself, but not to tell everything unique about her. This is the complete opposite in our society. Lena's aunt is drilling into her to be just like everyone else in society because that is what the government. This quote is an example of how Lena's life is full of lies.
"I've learned to get really good at this - say one thing when I'm thinking about something else, act like I'm listening when I'm not, pretend to be calm and happy when really I'm freaking out." (49)
Lena is perfect at pretending to be someone else, except in situations where it is necessary, like the evaluation. In the evaluation, she is too honest and tells who she really is, instead of faking her personality like her aunt tells her to do.
"But as long as everyone believes that the whole thing is juiced up with enough kilowattage to fry a person like an egg in a pan, the fence is serving its purpose just fine." (270)
Lena realizes this when she is jumping the fence with Alex for a night to visit the Wilds. According to the government, if everyone in society is ignorant and unaware of the truth, then everything is fine. Basically, the government approves of lying...
"In that second it really hits me how deep and complex the lies are, how they run through Portland like sewers, backing up into everything, filling the city with stench: the whole city built and constructed within a perimeter of lies." (279)
"Something has just occurred to me. They've lied about everything - about the fence, and the existence of the Invalids, about a million other things besides. They told us the raids were carried out for our own protection. They told us the regulators were only interested in keeping the peace.
They told us that love was a disease. They told us it would kill us in the end.
For the very first time I realize that this, too, might be a lie." (280)
This is the biggest quote that depicts the theme of deceit. Lena realizes that her life has been full of lies fed to her by the government, her elders, and her family.