Eo’s death
Eo’s death is symbolic and it represents an understated rebellion against the system of oppression. She is sentenced to death for singing a song that expresses the suffering and oppression of her people, for literally raising her voice against the system. It is her death that opens up a path for Darrow to rise.
When your wife died, she didn’t just give you a vendetta. She gave you her dream. You’re its keeper.
The colors
The societal construct of the novel is literally represented through colors. It is a clear tyranny and abuse of power; democracy has no place here. The people are divided based on the color of their hair, eyes or skin, with Golds being at the top of the pyramid and Reds being the literal slaves beneath the surface.
A man and his camel
To prove her point and direct Darrow, Mustang makes an allegory to his rule with the story from Earth about the man and his camel. The man was traveling with his camel through the desert. One day the camel kicked him and the man whipped the animal. The wounds grew infected and the camel died leaving the man stranded in the desert. Just like the man without the camel, Darrow is helpless without his army and must be careful not to lose it.
Roman and Greek mythology
The school setting on Mars, and the selection of students is divided into groups with names of Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses with their Proctors claiming the names as well, such as Apollo, Jupiter or Pluto. Interestingly enough, the behavior of the Proctors is similar to those of deities, watching over their students battle each other, but not interfering for the most part.
