How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"In a way, he's our creator. He created the lives we lead today. He gave us names, decided what your father's profession would be. He also decided whether we could remain Catholic or not. I often wonder, Is it right to be at the complete mercy of this man, this number 2222? He's almost assumed the role of God in our lives, Adam. And this gives me the shivers." (26.15)
Given how things turn out, Adam's mom is right to be spooked by the control Mr. Grey has over their lives. It must be isolating and intimidating to have someone else in charge of your identity. Think of how carefree and happy Amy Hertz is. She's a girl who is totally in charge of her own life, doing as she pleases. Of course Shmoop isn't necessarily advocating for Amy-like mischief-making, but we do advocate for an Amy-like spirit: do what makes you happy.
Quote #8
I'd think, Poor Paul. As if he had been another person and not me. My father said we had to live in the present, not the past. (26.25)
Adam worries about his previous identity, which he doesn't remember, but his dad tells him to try to live in the present. This is very unsettling, given what we know and learn about present-day Adam, whose present is no better than his past. While the past is filled with trauma, fear, and loss, the present is filled with isolation, confusion, and torment.
Quote #9
[...] Adam was sad again, thinking of his father as a writer and how his life had changed, how it had been necessary for him to give up all that and become another person altogether, how all of them had become other persons, his father, his mother, and himself. Paul Delmonte, poor lost Paul Delmonte. (30.9)
Adam was so young when his family changed their identities that he doesn't remember anything about their original lives. Given how difficult it was for him to find out that he had been another person, imagine how hard it must have been for his mom and dad. Not only were they different people, but they had vivid and constant memories of their lives before the Witness Re-Establishment project. They remembered their former lives, which probably made them miss them all the more.