The idea of female agency in the novel is subtle and complex. While the Sisters wield ultimate authority in the village, young women like Mary and Cass have very little autonomy and are expected to conform to limited roles in this rigid society. Specifically, they must wait passively for a man to “speak for” them and marry them, thereby providing them with a defined role that forces them to sacrifice their own interests and work for the benefit of others. Yet because a ruling class of women perpetuates this oppressive cycle, the novel presents an intricate dynamic that examines the compromised nature of female power within innately patriarchal social systems. The nuances of these interactions are extensively explored through the rebellious Mary’s fraught relationships with Sister Tabitha, the male characters, and Cass.

The Sisterhood strongly influences the villagers’ religious beliefs by compelling everyone to believe in God and to studiously examine the Scripture. They also suggest that perpetuating the human race in the face of the undead scourge should be every villager’s primary concern. Yet although their many social rules are ostensibly designed to aid humanity’s survival, the Sisters take actions that decrease the villagers’ quality of life—particularly when they arrange the lives of young people like Mary with no regard for these young adults’ true preferences. Sister Tabitha exerts a special degree of control over Mary when she forces the protagonist into close proximity to the undead in order to force her into “choosing” the Sisterhood. Later, Sister Tabitha even goes so far as to punish Mary’s curiosity about the Sisterhood’s secrets by determining that Mary should be betrothed to Harry instead. However, the true extent of Sisterhood’s sinister actions, while never fully confirmed, are nonetheless heavily implied in Gabrielle’s sudden transition from a patient to a vicious and fast-paced Unconsecrated. Gabrielle’s initial isolation and ultimate loss of agency demonstrate the inherent risks that Mary faces when she seeks the full truth about the Return, the Sisterhood, and the state of the outside world.

In addition to contending with the will of the Sisterhood, Mary finds that her agency is constantly tested by the male characters, who seek to influence her choices in life and love. However, in each instance, she shows a quiet assertiveness, and her determination to remain true to her ideals leads her to even more empowered patterns of decision-making. For example, Mary initially assumes that Travis shares her hope of finding a better life beyond the village, but when he admits to having doubts about the very existence of the ocean, Mary realizes that she must follow her heart even at the expense of her romance with Travis. Likewise, when Harry betrays her trust and calls her selfish at Gate I, she leaves him behind and pursues her own path. Finally, Mary’s own brother, Jed, shuns her after their mother’s death, but Mary’s fortitude, hope, and survival instincts eventually influence him into joining her cause, and in the novel’s conclusion, he is the only person to follow and aid her when she chooses to seek freedom beyond the fenced paths. While Jed proves himself an ally in the end, he, Travis, and Harry consistently represent the limits that try to rein in Mary’s inquisitive nature, and it is up to her to either change the men’s behavior or escape their influence entirely.

While the male characters’ overbearing nature challenges Mary to rely more heavily upon her own judgment, Cass serves as a foil to Mary, for her passive approach to life highlights the protagonist’s growing sense of agency and determinism. This dynamic comes to the fore when Cass insists that she and Mary bury their true feelings and accept their poorly arranged marriages. In this moment, Cass makes no effort to assert her love for Harry and change the course of her life, and it is only the crisis of the breached village—yet another external factor—that ultimately changes the course of her life. Later, when Cass tries to convince the others to return to the village, their decision to ignore her and her rapid acquiesce further reflect her lack of agency. By contrast, Mary’s power increases as she engages in self-reflection, actively seeks to uncover the Sisterhood’s secrets, and remains determined to seek the promised freedom of the ocean.