“Runt. He hated that name—even though he knew it was true. Compared to Chinook and some of the other newborns, he was small, very small.”

In the beginning of the novel, Shade resents his physical disposition. He’s small and weak compared to the other males in the colony, and he resents that he can’t do the things that other males can do. This resentment leads him to make many mistakes that put himself and others in danger, but he eventually learns to harness his wit rather than trying to force physical strength

“The law keeps us safe at night, not by day. If we are obedient, we can at least avoid some of these needless deaths.”

This quote comes from Bathsheba, one of the elders in Shade’s colony. She would rather live a safe and law-abiding life instead of going against the owls’ unjust laws and risk death. She is in opposition to Frieda, who would rather stand up against the owls and risk retribution if it means there’s a chance to reclaim their lives in the sun.

“There was only Nocturna, the Winged Spirit, whose wings spanned the entire night sky, and were the night sky, and contained the stars and the moon and the wind. One by one Nocturna fashioned creatures […].”

Shade and his colony believe that Nocturna created all creatures, but her Promise is for bats alone. Their belief in Nocturna and her Promise gives some bats, like Frieda, hope that the owls’ unjust laws won’t always be in place. Other bats, like Bathsheba, think Nocturna and her promise are just a myth.