In Chapter 13, Mare says she can trust thieves to do their worst and explains how desperate situations lead people to turn on their friends or steal from those who have even less than them. Do you agree that this is a person’s “worst?” Why or why not? If so, what makes this a person’s worst? If not, what would you call it? Do you think stealing is justified in some situations? Outline your thoughts on when, how, and what it might be permissible to take, and explain your logic.

In Chapter 26, when Cameron tortures the Silver prison guards, Mare thinks that revenge is Cameron’s right after how she was treated. Do you agree or disagree with Mare’s perspective? Why? Explore the ideas of “might makes right” and “an eye for an eye.” How do those concepts apply to Cameron or to any revenge? Does either of these concepts influence your initial opinion of justified revenge? Why or why not?

Examine the messages Glass Sword delivers about similarities, differences, and how we treat others based on how we perceive them in relation to ourselves. What is conveyed about equality and common ground by how the characters treat those who are like and not like them? How might Glass Sword have gone differently without the division between the Reds and newbloods at the Scarlet Guard island base? Do you think the Red dislike of newbloods feels justified? Why or why not? Support your answer with evidence from the text.