The complex relationship between technological progress and societal control is central to the story. The novel explores how technology bans can be used as instruments of oppression and how the fight for technological freedom becomes a symbol for human self-determination.

Ophelia's internal struggle between her obligation to the resistance and her love for Lucien embodies the classic conflict between personal desires and societal responsibility. This tension drives the plot and forces the protagonist to make difficult moral decisions.

The book examines various facets of power - from political control to emotional manipulation. It shows how power can be exercised through both overt violence and subtle influence, and the role information control plays in this.