In a world deprived of nature’s gifts, the merest hint of green takes on enormous significance. When Mika has a vision of a plant growing in Ellie’s cupboard—a window into a world of possibilities—he is awestruck. He’s only ever seen pictures of plants, and even a vision of a real one carries profound implications. Later, when Awen, the “Dream Dog” appears, Mika sees green shoots growing from his own fingers. Even Gorman begins to envision plant life. As he dozes in the back of a pod transport, he feels something in his mouth: a leaf. These visions suggest that nature, held at bay for 50 years, is finally beginning to encroach upon the government’s walled prison. Despite the meticulous perpetuation of the lie, despite the massive concrete wall, nature will not be denied. It’s a force more powerful than any human contrivance.

The specters haunting Mika’s nightmares have televisions for heads, an interesting comment about the insidious power of electronic devices. Even Gorman, the knife-sharpening monster in Mika’s dreams, is himself haunted by these visions, visions that hold up a disturbing mirror to show him his own true nature. Karl Marx once referred to religion as the opiate of the people, and the same could be said about television.