Literature / Poster Girl

A Fallen Regime.
A Missing Child.
A Chance At Freedom.

"Who are you, when nobody watches you?"

Poster Girl is a dystopian novel by Veronica Roth, the author of the Divergent trilogy, published in 2022. Unlike her most famous works, Poster Girl is clearly aimed towards an adult audience and includes a lot of darkness and despair in its story and themes.

Similar to Divergent, the novel is set in a dystopian future version of the United States — in this case, a Mega City formed in the Northwest from Seattle, Vancouver and Portland. However, Poster Girl offers a unique Perspective Flip on the setting, focusing on the dystopian regime (known as the Delegation) after it has been overthrown by a revolution and replaced by an entity known as the Triumvirate. Furthermore, the book's protagonist, Sonya Kantor, initially factors into the story not as a brave rebel but as the titular "Poster Girl" for the Delegation, having been chosen as the face for its latest batch of propaganda posters before the Revolution took place.

Ten years after the Rebellion, Sonya and the other loyalists of the old regime lead a miserable existence in the Aperture, a ghetto in the outskirts of the Mega City, trying to make the most of the scraps left to them. It is then that she is approached by Alexander, a former friend of Sonya who turned against the Delegation in the rebellion and has been working for the Triumvirate in the past decade. He gives Sonya a tantalizing offer: find a girl taken away from her family by the Delegation more than ten years ago, and she will receive her freedom. Traversing the new world on her path to redemption, Sonya is confronted more and more with the evils of the old regime, and the part her own family played within it…

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Poster Girl contains examples of:

• Action Survivor: Sonya never received any kind of military training but learned how to defend herself during her imprisonment in the Aperture. At one point she took out a man's eye with her thumb when he tried to rape her.
• Acquitted Too Late: The Triumvirate eventually releases the inhabitants of the Aperture who were locked up there while they were still children/teenagers. This would have included Sonya's boyfriend David, had he not comitted suicide due to the hopelessness of his seeming lifetime imprisonment.
• The Adjectival Man : Sonya is called "The Poster Girl" by both people within the Aperture as well as especially people outside who generally only know her as the titular Poster Girl of the Delegation.
• Affably Evil: Most inhabitants of the Aperture appear as reasonably sympathetic, if bitter, people, despite most of them still believing in the Regime they once served and refusing to accept it's crimes.
• After the End: Like Divergent, Poster Girl takes places in a Post Collapse USA; in this case in a Mega City in the Northwest.
• Alone with the Psycho: While trying to get information on Grace Wards Insight, Emily Knocks sends Sonya to "negotiate" with Myth the leader of the Analogue Army terrorist group. Things don't go very well and only the timely arrival of Alexander, who had been tracking her Insight, saves her from being killed by the terrorists.
• Always Someone Better: Sonya`s older sister Susanna was this to her, one of the main reasons she became the Poster Girl was to be ahead of her for once.
• Ambiguously Bi: Sonya's dossier by the Delegation mentions her having displayed "occasional furtive interests in her own sex" in addition to open heterosexuality. Though all shown and mentioned romantic relationships of Sonya's are with men.
• Ambiguous Situation: Whether or not Poster Girl takes places in the same Setting as Divergent. It is mentioned that the former USA is split into several Sectors each of them having other systems of government but no clear confirmation is given either way.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse: After Easton Turner tries sending her back into the Aperture for good (and possibly worse), Sonya reveals to him that she knows about his past involvement with the Delegation. Forcing him to release her. Though afterwards she conveniently helps Rose Parker with revealing it anyway.
• Anti-Hero: The Rebels who overthrew the Delegation are not without their own Skeletons in the Closet, and a concerning amount of Sins of Our Fathers but the society they created is a clear improvement over the Delegations Regime.
• Arc Words: "WHAT’S RIGHT IS RIGHT" The slogan on the propaganda posters Sonya stared on. As well as "Who are you when nobody watches you?"
• Arranged Marriage: Sonya had one before the uprising, which was apparently common in the Delegation elite.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Under the Delegation pretty much every action a person could do was either punished or rewarded with Des Coin. Deductions would happen for things such as destruction of property, not properly recycling, premarital sex, cursing in public, eating unhealthily up and including women cutting their hair short.
• Asshole Victim: Easton Turner. After Sonya blackmails him into releasing her from the Aperture she decides to help Rose Parker reveal his dark secrets to the public anyway. Given he was a massivley corrupt politician, complicit in child murder and terrorism, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
• The Atoner: Sonya is basically a state sponsored version of the trope as she will be allowed to leave her prison if she finds Grace Ward. In truth she is looking for Grace to atone for being the one to snitch on her to the Delegation, something that has plagued her ever since.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: It is clear that Sonya held some resentment for her old sister Susanna for being the perfect child and being able to get ahead of her for once played a huge part in her becoming the titular Poster Girl for the Delegation. Yet as the story continues it becomes clear that Sonya dearly misses her sister and cherishes the good memories she has of her very highly. In the end clearly resenting her father for including Susanna in his Pater Familicide.
• Based on a Great Big Lie: The Triumvirate claims to have removed the Insight implants from it`s population, excluding the prisoners in the Aperture, but in truth the implants can't be removed without killing the person, so they merely deactivated them and gave the people a fake operating scar to support the lie.
• Believing Their Own Lies: Many people within the Aperture still fully believe in the Delegations Propaganda refusing to accept the regimes crimes. Even people like Nikhil who where complicit in them still maintain that they were only ever harsh against criminals and terrorists.
• Better to Die than Be Killed: Several high ranking members of the Delegation comitted suicide when the regime was overthrown, including Sonya's family.
• Big Bad: Easton Turner is the closest character to this, a former supporter of the regime who managed to hide his past and become a leading member of the Triumvirate. He opposes Sonya's efforts to find Grace Ward to prevent her from uncovering his dirty secrets.
• Bittersweet Ending: Grace Ward is dead, having been killed by Sonya's father shortly after she was reported, destroying Sonya's hopes of redeeming herself by reuniting her with her parents. Still, she has made peace with Alexander, and they have exposed Easton Turner for his involvement in the Regime and the Analogue Army. Ultimately Sonya leaves the Megalopolis behind to start a new life, in a place where nobody knows who she is, a place where she can finally be free.
• Black-and-Grey Morality: The Rebellion and the following Triumvirate have many problems such as having indiscriminately killed people associated with the Delegation during the Revolution, including children, and locked the survivors away in a ghetto. They also postponed the restoration of various civil liberties "until the Triumvirate has stabilized" and they lie to the people about being able to remove their Insight implants. But they are at least trying to build a better society, to reunite "illegal" children with their parents and eventually do allow those who were put in Aperture as children to return to society. Meanwhile the old Delegation pretty much had all of these negative aspects and more, enforcing a strict one child policy (outside of their own privileged families), constantly monitoring each and every step of their citizens, punishing them for the smallest of infractions, as well as murdering children just on the off chance that they might one day become a problem.
• Blindfolded Trip: Played for Drama under the Delegation, as the only way to do something without the Insight recording it was to do it blindfolded. This includes parent's being only ever able to interact with their illegal children while being blindfolded as to not be found out.
• Bomb-Throwing Anarchists: How the Delegation and the prisoners in the Aperture percieve the rebellion that formed the Triumvirate. Also what the Analogue Army amounts to.
• Boyish Short Hair: Sonya wears her blonde hair short in the Aperture for practical reasons. Alexander mentions a haircut like that wouldn't have earned her any Des Coin, implying women having short hair was considered an infraction under the Delegations regime.
• But Now I Must Go: Knowing that with being known as the Poster Girl she can never be her own person in the Megalopolis Sonya leaves it behind at the end of the story. Seeking to create a new life for herself in a place where nobody knows who she is. Though she leaves open the possibility to return one day.
• Call to Agriculture: At the very end of the story Sonya settles down as a worker in an agricultural commune called Desert Eden.
• Childless Dystopia: Downplayed as it only applies to the Aperture, where the inmates are given regular injections that keep them sterile. In combination with some of the youngest inmates being eventually allowed to leave, see below, 27 year old Sonya is the youngest inmate remaining in the ghetto after her friend Nicole leaves at the beginning of the story. After Sonya leaves at the end the only people still left are the ones who entered as adults.
• Corrupt Politician: Easton Turner, one of the three heads of the Triumvirate and the main villain of the story. Not only has he been an ascociate of the old Delegation and is complicit in their child murder, he also has ties to the Analogue Army terrorist group (their leader possibly being his father). He also insincerly offers Alexander to release Sonya if she finds Grace Ward while doing what he can to obstruct their search. When they get too close to the truth he fires Alexander and tries to send Sonya back to the Aperture for good.
• The Cracker: Emily Knocks is a successful mercenary hacker who originally worked for rebels during the Delegation era and now whoever can pays her. Then Sonya recruits her to find out what happened to Grace Ward.
• Crapsaccharine World: The Delegation, at least from the perspective of it`s elite. To them it have a civilized, high society state where everyone was justly rewarded/punished for their behavior and in which modern technology was rapidly advancing. The only people actually treated harshly were vile criminals and terrorists. Needless to say as Sonya get`s more and more into contact with people not part of the regimes elite she begins to realize just how fake her seemingly perfect world actually was.
• Culture Police: The Delegation has shades of this with the things they considered indecencies, going from women having short haircuts to all sorts of forbidden pieces of media, wich would incure large Des Coin penalties.
• Dark Secret: Sonya was the one ratted out Grace Ward to the Delegation via her father, using the Des Coin she got for it to "pay" for her first time with Aaron.
• Denied Food as Punishment: It´s mentioned that three years ago, some people in the Aperture threw bottles at visiting Triumvirate leaders. In reaction the Triumvirate cut the food delivery to the ghetto for weeks, starving the inmates, as punishment.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Most people in the Aperture struggle with extreme boredom as there is little for them to do in their ghetto. To the point that those who are released even rejoce at the idea of being being given simple factory jobs so they finally have something to do with their life again.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Basically the Delegations MO, during their reign people would be punished by loosing Des Coin for the most absurd infractions. Not sitting straight, taking an uncommon last name in marriage and even women cutting their hair short are all examples mentioned in the story. The rich elite could easily afford these payments, but for the common people each of these infractions could threaten their entire existence.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: The precursor to the Insight implant, to which the Triumvirates society has now returned, is called the Elicit. A black device about the size of a hand, that can be used for communication as well as to display information, a device can still monitor and track down a person werever they go. A device suspiciously similar to a modern smartphone...
• Driven to Suicide: Many of the Delegation's supporters after the Rebels won, including Sonya's family. Also, several people in the Aperture over the years due to their bleak living situation.
• Due to the Dead: Naomi Proctor burried the dead children the Delegation brought her for Insight research, including Grace Ward
• Dumb Blonde: Subverted, Sonya has blonde hair and sometimes calls herself not very clever, especially when compared to her sister, and the delegation considered her not intelligent enough for a position above that of a Trophy Wife but she is actually quite crafty and smart during the story.
• Dramatic Irony: David, Sonya's boyfriend in the Aperture, eventually comitted suicide due to the hopelessness of the situation. What makes it especially tragic is that he entered the Aperture as a teenager, so if he had lived on he would have been amongst those eventually released by the Triumvirate.
• Electronic Eyes: Under the Delegation every citizen was equipped with the Insight Eye implant, as a projector for information and media, but also a camera constantly monitoring the person, rewarding/punishing them for their actions (see below). Since the Revolution only the people within the Aperture still have their Insights, everyone else had theirs removed or so they think.
• Equal-Opportunity Evil: Subverted. At first glance the Delegation was the standard YA novel authoritarian regime, which was totalitarian and ruled by a privileged elite but was also somehow completely colour- and gender blind. However, as the story progresses it becomes clear that they were institutionally racist and sexist.
  • The Delegation had plenty of POC in positions of power, but Emily Knox (who is Asian) explains that everyone was financially incentivised to assimilate into the Delegation's heavily WASP-influenced culture and adopt Anglophone names, and that Sonya's family only kept their vaguely Russian/German (and vaguely Jewish) sounding last name "Kantor" because they could afford to. Sonya then remembers overhearing grownups at a dinner party saying that Nikhil (who is South Asian) made a smart decision by taking his white wife's name and naming his sons Aaron and Alexander.
  • Women could work for the Delegation, but it's revealed that any girl who didn't demonstrate exceptional talent and intelligence from an early age was subtly pushed into the role of wife and mother. It's also mentioned that under the Delegation, commodities that were absolutely essential to survive like water were supposed to be free, however, menstrual products cost DesCoin. A small amount, but a clear indicator of what the largely male leadership considered "essential".
  • We're never told how queer people were treated, but based on Sonya's surveillance file, same-sex attraction was considered a knock against you.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Part of the premise of the book, as while many of the leading members of the Delegation were killed during the revolution or executed afterwards, many of their "loved ones" remained, and were locked up in the Aperture alongside mid to low level members of the regime.
• Even Evil Has Standards: The one thing that the Delegation didn`t reward/punish anyone for were religious activities. Showing that they had at least some respect for people`s faiths.
• Everyone Has Standards: Emily Knocks is a mercenary hacker, but she wants to gain everyones Insight data to delete it, ensuring nobody can ever abuse it again.
• Evil Former Friend: How Sonya sees Alexander, the older brother of her fiancée Aaron as this, as he betrayed his and Sonya's family to the rebels during the revolution.
• Evil Luddite: The Analogue Army a terrorist group trying to get all modern technology destroyed or banned.
• The Exile: Naomi Proctor, the woman who invented the Insight actually refused having one implanted herself and was as such allowed to go into exile by the Delegation who would continue to visit her for tech support, same with the Triumvirate.
• Faking the Dead: When Naomi Proctor went into exile she was officially declared dead, to make her a martyr for the Delegation.
• Fantastic Ghetto: Downplayed as the people in the Aperture are humans, but the place, made up of four housing blocks, serves as the prison for the former Elite of the Megalopolis. The inhabitants are largely left alone, beyond receiving low quality food and occasional clothing and other everyday items from donations. Rarely leaders of the Triumvirate or Journalists are allowed to enter. Being given regular sterilizing injections, the population of the ghetto is steadily dropping. Recently the Triumvirate allowed those still kids when they first entered to leave the Aperture, but for those who came as adults it will be the place they die.
• Fictional Currency: Desirability Coin, short Des Coin, was a currency introduced under the Delegation to reward/punish the people. Actions considered "good" like doing one’s job, being polite, eating healthy, always keeping a proper appearance, reporting rebellious or indecent activity would earn coin. Meanwhile cursing in public, premarital sex, eating unhealthily and other "indecencies" would see Des Cion deduced. The whole thing being monitored via a person's Insight. Even though the Des Coin System was ended ten years ago after the revolution Sonya still often thinks of it and how much Coin a certain action would have earned/cost.
• Foreshadowing: Early on when visiting the Ward family Sonya mentions that the train she took to school and back would always stop right by their house. Hinting that she has a closer connection to the Grace Ward case than it seems...
• Former Regime Personnel: The inhabitants of the Aperture are made up of members, employees, and collaborators of the Delegation, as well as their families. While many were killed in the Revolution or executed afterwards the survivors were locked in the ghetto. As it turns out some former regime supporters managed to engrain themselves with the Triumvirate, most notable Easton Turner.
• Freudian Excuse: Sonya and many other of the younger inmates in the Aperture grew up as part of the Delegation's elite and were indoctrinated into the regimes ideology from their earliest childhood, however....
• Freudian Excuse Denial: When Alexander brings it up that Sonya was an indoctrinated teenager when she became the Poster Girl and snitched on Grace, she herself retorts that it's not an excuse for what she did. Especially as he, who had the same upbringing, decided to help the rebels fight the Delegation.
• Future Spandex: The first time when outside the Aperture Sonya observes a young woman in such a tight fitting outfit. Noting to herself that under the Delegation this would have been considered a huge indecency, costing five hundred Des Coin per day.
• Gadgeteer Genius: A more realistic version as Sonya has become quite handy with reparing various old pieces of tech in the ghetto.
• Glad-to-Be-Alive Sex: Sonya and Alexander have sex after being attacked in the woods while tracking Grace's Insight.
• Greater-Scope Villain: August Kantor, Sonya's father, who not only tried to have his entire family commit suicide alongside him (succeeding with everyone but Sonya) but also the man who killed Grace Ward and several other children during the Delegation's rule. Thus, being responsible for much of the plot despite being dead for ten years.
• Have You Come to Gloat?: Basically the main reason the Triumvirates leaders visit the Aperture once per year. Case in point when they see Sonya they instantly start mocking her over her miserable situation.
• The Hedonist: What many people in the Aperture have become, trying to cope with their hopeless situation by throwing parties and abusing self produced drugs and moonshine. Unsuprisingly quite a few of them died because of this.
• Heel–Face Turn: While she never did anything particularly evil, beyond snitching on Grace Ward to her father Sonya starts out seeing herself and her family as victims of the rebels and follows main of the rules of the Delegation she was raised with, despite the regime having fallen ten years ago. As the story goes on her views begin to change further and further, as her walls of denial about the regime begin to crumble, eventually culminating in her learning the true extend of the regime’s crimes and her father’s complicitly in them, to the point she eventually reveals the full extent of them to the public. At the end of the story she works hard to build a new life for herself beyond what happened in the past.
• Heel Realization: Sonya has a gradual one over the course of the story, realizing just how evil the Delegation and her own father were.
• Hero of Another Story: The rebels in general and Alexander in particular, as most dystophian fiction follows the victims/rebels of such a society. But with the focus being on Sonya, Alexander turning against his family and the Delegation to help end it`s tyranny is a story that is mostly just alluded to.
• He Who Fights Monsters: The Rebellion and the following Triumvirate are a A Lighter Shadeof Grey to the Delegation but not without some pretty dark sides either. Many people were killed during the uprising, including children and teenagers, and afterwards everyone connected to the regime was put in a ghetto, sterilized and left to rot. Only very recently did the Triumvirate even allow those not yet adults when the rebellion happened, to return to society. It´s also mentioned that the Triumvirate postponed the restoration of several civil liberties "until the government has stabilized" for the last ten years.
• Hope Spot: Early on in her search for Grace Ward Sonya learns that someone called the Ward family on the phone claiming to be Grace. Giving her hope that Grace is indeed still alive. In truth the Ward family themselves set up the call, as to motivate the Triumvirate to continue the search for Grace.
• How the Mighty Have Fallen: Sonya was once the up-and-coming propaganda star of the ruling regime. Now she is a prisoner in a ghetto together with everyone else once in service of the Delegation who managed to survive the rebellion.
• Hypocrite: The Triumvirate, quite justifiably, considers the Insight and it`s constant monitoring of a persons actions the pinacle of the Delegations tyranny. Yet they use the same technology to keep taps on the people in the Aperture.
• Illegal Religion: Actually averted, though not supported either. About the only thing under the Delegation that would neither increase nor decrease Des Coin was religious activity.
• Intrepid Reporter: Rose Parker, whose articles about the children of the Delegation played an important part in the Triumvirate relenting and allowing the youngest inmates to leave the Aperture. She offers to aid Sonya in the search for Grace in exchange for being allowed to ask her a few questions. Later she is also the one to help Sonya expose Easton Turner.
• I Reject Your Reality: Some inmates in the Aperture, particularly those of building 3 pretend that their high society is still in existence, holding formal dinner parties and weddings as if they weren't imprisoned in a ghetto. On a darker note most inmates also refuse to aknowledge the crimes of the Delegation, claiming their regime was only ever harsh against criminals and terrorists.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Emily Knocks is a mercenary hacker who works for whoever pays her be they Criminals or Governments, who likes to troll Sonya several times just because she can. But she does develop some genuine sympathy for her, to the point that in case of her death she leaves behind messages to help Sonya find Grace. She also wants to delete the Delegations database on everybody’s Insights so no one can abuse it anymore.
  • Alexander as well. He is quite a jerk to Sonya during their first meetings but ultimatley he still cares for her. To the point he used what influence he had in the Triumvirate to get her this chance at freedom, and even risks (and ultimatley looses) his job to help her find Grace.
• Kick the Dog: Basically the only reason the leaders of the Triumvirate visit the Aperture once each year is for them to gloat at the suffering of it`s inmates. They also bring large crowds of journalists to document the hopeless situation in the ghetto to the rest of society.
• Killed Offscreen: Emily Knocks is eventually murdered to prevent her from discovering the truth about Easton Turner.
• Long Hair Is Feminine: The Delegation certainly thought so, punishing women for having short haircuts.
• The Lost Lenore: Sonya has already two by the start of the story. First her betrothed Aaron who was killed during the Rebellion, then David, her boyfriend in the Aperture who eventually committed suicide due to the hopelessness of the situation.
• A Lighter Shade of Grey: The Triumvirate is far from perfect, having many internal and external troubles, as well as being willing to, up until recently, lock up children into a ghetto for the crimes of their parents. But they are considerably less awful than the Delegation.
• Meaningful Rename: Those inmates allowed to leave the Aperture are given the opportunity to take on a new name to protect them in the new society. Sonya herself averts this though when given the offer at the end of the story. Knowing that people will recognize her as the Poster Girl anyway.
• Moral Guardians: The Delegation would punish their population for the smallest indecencies, like eating unhealthily, not sitting straight, wearing tight or skimpy clothing, up and including women having a short haircut or men not keeping their beard neat.
• Ms. Fanservice: Invoked Trope, Sonya was chosen to model for the propaganda posters because of her good looks.
• Mundane Luxury: Having spent the last ten years in a ghetto even simple things like a cup of hot chocolate or cheese toast have become this for Sonya.
• My Greatest Second Chance: Sonya is offered to be released from the ghetto and to return to society if she finds Grace Ward. In truth she is so determined to find Grace because she was the one who snitched her out to the Delegation in the first place. Hoping to redeem herself by returning her to her family.
• Pater Familicide: As their hiding place was discovered by the Rebels Sonya`s father lead his family into collective suicide dying alongside his wife and older daughter. Only Sonya survived on account of not taking the pill.
• Parental Substitute: Nikhil, Aaron's and Alexander’s father, serves as this to Sonya in the Aperture, their relationship fractures somewhat as Sonya begins to realize just how evil the Delegation actually was. But they ultimately remain in contact via letters even after she leaves the Megalopolis behind.
• Pet the Dog: Williams, one of the guards of the Aperture is comparativley friendly to Sonya and later agrees to pass her message to Alexander.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Downplayed with Sonya and Aaron as he died before they could get married, but they seemed to have got along quite well from what we hear of it.
• Perspective Flip: Unlike Divergent, and most Dystopian Fiction, this story takes places from the perspective of the regime’s elite, after the revolution has overthrown them.
• Population Control: The Delegation enforced a strict One Child Policy on its citizens, allegedly due to the resource shortages in the Post Apocalyptic Society. Privileged Families like Sonya's could gain special exceptions, however. Meanwhile in the rest of society illegal children were taken away from their parents and put up for adoption or in some cases murdered when they were already old enough to possibly feel resentment over it. After the Rebellion the Triumvirate has returned many of these children to their parents though with others finding them has proven more difficult, such as Grace Ward, the girl Sonya is tasked with finding and the one she snitched out in the first place.
• Propaganda Piece: The Posters on which Sonya became the titular Poster Girl, showing her face and the Delegation`s slogan "WHAT’S RIGHT IS RIGHT".
• Propaganda Machine: Sonya was the up and coming star of the Delegation propaganda department.
• The Proud Elite: The people within the Aperture are what remained of the Delegations upper class after the revolution overthrew them. Many of them look down on the people outside the ghetto, and have gone into deep denial trying to act as if their high society was still in existence.
• Punch-Clock Villain: Many inmates in the Aperture come off as this, having worked for the Delegation but not having been part of the leadership of the regime itself.
• Redemption Quest: Sonya`s search for Grace is an offically sanctioned one, if she finds the girl she will be released from the Aperture. In truth it is far more personal, Sonya seeking Grace to atone for being the one who originally ratted her out to the Delegation. Getting her freedom is just a secondary concern to her and when she later is offered her freedom by Naomi Proctor she instead resolves returning to Grace`s family to tell them what happened to their daughter and her own part in it. Sadly this leads to...
• Rejected Apology: After finding out the truth about Grace, Sonya reveals to her family that she was the one who snitched their daughter out in the first place. Believing Sonya only went looking for their daughter to be free from the Aperture and now is just pretending to be sorry they reject her apology and force her to leave.
• Retired Monster: Part of the population of the Aperture, the other parts are their loved ones. Though it's hardly a desirable retirement package all things considered.
• The Reveal: Sonya was the one who snitched out Grace Ward.
• The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: Oh so very much. During the uprising that overthrew the Delegation the rebels killed people indiscriminately for having any connection to the regime, including teenagers and children. This includes Sonya`s best friend Tana and her entire family, as well as her betrothed Aaron.
• Selective Enforcement: Sonya eventually finds out that the Delegation would punish/reward people differently in the Des Coin system depending on which role they were meant to play in society. For example Sonya, who was chosen to become a Trophy Wife was punished harder for cursing than her sisters Susanna, who was chosen to become part of the Delegations leadership, implying the higher ones position the lesser the punishment.
• Sensual Spandex: Sonya observes a young woman wearing one during her first time outside the Aperture. She can't help but stare at her as outfits like this would cost five hundred Des Coin per day.
• Sex for Services: It is mentioned that some guards smuggle certain items into the Aperture, in exchange for 'favors' from good looking female inmates. Ultimatley discussed but averted in the story itself, as Sonya does fear that she might have engage in this to get a message out of the Aperture. Thankfully Williams, the guard, is nice enough to help her for free.
• Sinister Surveillance: Under the Delegation every citizen was constantly monitored via their Insight Eye implants. While the Triumvirate has banned the practice Alexander still uses it to keep taps on Sonya while she searches for Grace Ward.
• Sins of Our Fathers: Several of the younger people in the Aperture were put there on account of being the children of important figures in the Delegation. After ten years in the ghetto the Triumvirate finally released everyone who had been below eighteen years old at the time of incarceration. Everyone but Sonya that is.
• Sole Survivor: Sonya is the only member of her family who survived the downfall of the Delegation
• The Spook: Myth the leader of the Analogue Army terrorist group. Given some similarities in their speech patterns Sonya guesses, probably correctly, that he is Easton Turners father.
• Starting a New Life: After ten years in the Aperture those who were still teenagers/children when they came there are allowed to leave. Taking on a new name they are allowed to reintegrate themselves into society. Sonya`s friends Ashley, Shona and Nicole all took this chance, amongst others, making Sonya the youngest person to remain in the Aperture at the beginning of the story. Ultimately this becomes Sonya's fate as well, though she keeps her name. She leaves the Megalopolis behind altogether and starts a new life in a place called Desert Eden where nobody knows who she is. Though she sends occasional letters back to the friends she has left.
• Sterility Plague: All inmates in the Aperture are given anual injections that keep them unable to have kids so that their families will die with them. By the time the story begins 27 year old Sonya is the youngest inmate left, also because some of the younger ones were eventually allowed to leave, see above.
• Token Good Teammate: Downplayed with Alexander as the Rebellion wasn't flawless either, but he was the only member of his family and one of the few people within the regime’s upper class to activley work against the Delegation. He is also the only person working for the Triumvirate willing to give Sonya an honest shot at getting out of the ghetto, and the reason she is given the chance.
• Tragic Keepsake: The first thing Sonya does after being allowed to leave the Aperture to find Grace, is to visit her old home and gather a few memorials from her family. Including a key, a bowl she made for her father and her sisters guitar plectrum.
• Troll: Emily Knocks clearly enjoys messing with Sonya on more than one occasion. Including asking her to sing an old propaganda song of the Delegation in public as "payment" for her help in finding Grace Ward.
• Trophy Wife: The fate the Delegation had in mind for Sonya, as she was deemed not intelligent enough for a position in the regime.
• Unreliable Narrator: Downplayed but despite Sonya being the point of view character the narration does hide her true motive to find Grace Ward namely being the one who snitched her out in the first place, for most of the story.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Naomi Proctor originally created the Insight implants as part of a project to develop perfect cybernetic organs and body parts. Hoping to help people... But the Delegation had other ideas on how to use the technology...
• Vigilante Execution: It`s mentioned that many took place during the rebellion.
• Weird Currency: Under the Delegation, non-perishable small luxury goods like mustard, pickles and candy were used as currency in the black market to avoid the transactions being tracked, because they were moderately high value, never expired, could be returned to the store for a full refund at any time if they were unopened and buying more of them than average didn't set off alarm bells. You would buy them at the store, trade them for what you wanted but couldn't legally buy to someone else, who would then return them to the store for their equivalent value in DesCoin.
• Where I Was Born and Razed: Alexander helped the rebels burn down his family home to further distance himself from his family.
• Would Hurt a Child: The Rebels had no problem with killing children of the Delegations elite during the revolution nor putting those survived in a ghetto for ten years. The Delegation meanwhile was even worse as Sonya`s father murdered several children just on the possibility alone that they might become a future threat for the regime.
• Your Door Was Open: Enforced in the Aperture, where the only room that is allowed to be locked is the makeshift medical office. Everyone else's door are premanetly unlocked which causes a lot of criminal activity within the ghetto. Alexander is also able to enter Sonya's appartment several times because of this despite her trying to keep him out.