The Madness of Crowds

“What had started as a dry research project, destined for a government file cabinet, had slipped its moorings. Gone public. Gone viral. A fringe movement had taken off.”

This quotation describes how Abigail Robinson became a public figure and attracted an audience for her controversial message. Penny uses a metaphor, comparing Abigail’s research to a boat that has slipped its mooring, and connects this to the novel’s overall interest in how ideas gradually take hold of a population. This image of a research project “slipping its moorings” evokes the idea of science or data becoming unanchored from ethics. Penny draws attention to how quickly dangerous ideas can metastasize when fear is present, especially in a post-pandemic society still shaken by loss.

“I have no ideology beyond finding and defending that spot between freedom and safety.”

Gamache speaks this quotation to Colette when she criticizes him for asking her to cancel the lecture. Gamache acknowledges that he has a responsibility to be impartial and unbiased and insists that he is acting objectively. Gamache’s assertion highlights his ongoing internal tension between duty and emotion. Although he claims objectivity, his personal investment—especially as a grandfather to a disabled child—undermines this neutrality. Penny uses this moment to question whether such impartiality is ever truly possible, highlighting the theme of Bias and Emotion Impacting Decisions.