Good and evil are traditional binary oppositions, however, no one in the novel fits into either category well. In fact, there are so many people in the gray area that it is hard to tell who is truly a protagonist and who is an antagonist. The grayness of so many characters is perpetuated by the mistrust Thomas feels for just about everyone, whether they are part of WICKED or not.

Although Janson’s unwavering desire to help others by finding a cure is overshadowed by the seemingly unnecessary tests and deaths of others, can he truly be considered evil? Despite Thomas’s position as the main character and his heroic actions at the end of the novel, can he be considered good after being so self-centered for much of the novel? Good and evil, it seems, are not definable always clearly.

What does it mean to be human? Philosophers, authors, artists, and ordinary people alike have pondered what it means to be human across generations. In this novel, the moment you are confirmed as having the Flare, you are written off as an individual. Consider the state of the Crank Palace. It is a place created out of a kindness to keep the infected comfortable until they lose their minds, but it is a place that is in no way comfortable for the infected living there.