Cassia always trusted the Society's choices. And when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia is certain he is the one...until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now she is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one dares to follow... between perfection and passion. |
Group Members: Logan, Job, Haley, Ayden
The Society and Setting
Society in the novel is very controlled. Everyone actis similar and there is no cooler. The clothes people wear is identical and if there is an abnormal acting person they are rejected and un allowed to have children or a match. People are not allowed to pick who they get married to either, instead officials picks matches. freedom is almost nonexistent and everyone if forced to take drugs with the effects unknown.
The buildings all look the same and the people fear the unknown. If something does not serve a purpose, such as decorations, it is considered worthless and disposed of. It appears as if in the past some disaster ecured that almost killed all natural life on earth, known as the warming. Overall Society seems to be extremely bland and controlled almost as if people are puppets being controlled by its owner.
The buildings all look the same and the people fear the unknown. If something does not serve a purpose, such as decorations, it is considered worthless and disposed of. It appears as if in the past some disaster ecured that almost killed all natural life on earth, known as the warming. Overall Society seems to be extremely bland and controlled almost as if people are puppets being controlled by its owner.
The blue pill are received when the children turn ten and it resembles maturity, but the pill itself has enough nutrients to last them several days, if they have water. The green pill helps calm you at any situation no matter what, and you are given this pill at age 13, you can take it up to once a week. The red pill we have not discovered yet.
Struggles the main character is facing
The major problem that Cassia is facing is that her match card was showing Ky, but at the match ceremony she was matched with Xander, losing her grandfather, and her dad losing her grandfather's tissue sample. Cassia is very involved, or trying to be involved with Ky but he keeps closing up, she is trying to get to know him, and, we believe that Cassia is starting to fall in love with him, but she isn't allowed too because it would mess her entire life, along with her family’s life. Her grandfather passing has made Cassia think about her decisions a lot more, since she will never be able to see him ever again, because her father lost his tissue sample. Some problems that have arised, is that her grandfather showed her a secret compartment in her compact, and it is a poem, which is highly illegal to have, Cassia reads it in the woods when she went for a hike with her class, as she was reading it Ky saw her, and now she has to find somewhere to ruin it, so she won't get in trouble for having it, which would be her dad’s work place “I reach into my pocket and pull out the paper grandfather gave me. I let go of it. It dances on the air for a moment before it falls, too. A fresh gust of wind almost saves it, but a worker catches sight of it and lifts a tube up to suck the paper from the air, to suck the words from the sky.”(Condie ,128) . Conflicts that Cassia has with other characters are trying to figure what really happened to Ky, and why he is labeled an outcast, Her father for losing her grandfather's tissue sample, and a battle within herself for staying the way society wants her too, or go on her own.
Safety vs. Freedom
In today's world safety and freedom play a major role in society. People desire freedom to think, create, and do what they want, when they want to. However people also want to feel safe. In America, People are free to believe what they want, do what they want, and create almost whatever they want to, as long as it is within the guidelines set to protect the people and give them a sense of security.
In the novel Matched written by Ally Condie, Everything is very controlled and regulated to the point where everyone appears to be almost identical. “I like the idea that, for one night, I don't look like everyone else.” (Condie, 13) This shows a desire for freedom to make choices for themselves. With freedom comes opportunity and emotion. With control comes mindless slavery. “I don't want to be calm anymore. I don't want to forget. As much as it hurts, I have to hold onto the whole story of him, the painful parts, too.” (Condie, 326) This shows that people would rather know the truth, although it may be hard to handle truth is chosen over a lie.
Exploring Utopian Society: What makes this society Utopian
In Matched the society is utopian because they are trying to take away all possibilities for mistakes. When the people turn 80, they are given poison in their favorite foods so they will die that night, they are not allowed to have children after 31, they are matched with someone based on how compatible they are, they have food made for them so they will get all necessary nutrients, they're job is picked for them, they cannot control anything they do, although Officials give the citizens choices, they have freedom to make the choices they want but both choices they would have to pick from are regulated and the officials have complete control over. “it’s one thing to make a choice and it’s another thing to never have the chance” (Condie,) This society has become dystopian because Cassia has learned the officials are only giving her what they think she needs, what they think is the best for her, there doing what they think is going to benefit her the most. Cassia learned that her grandfather didn't want to die at age 80, and he didn't need to, the officials were wrong, Cassia fell in love with Ky and Xander, the officials were wrong, Cassia wants to rebel and make her own choices but she is moved to the outer provinces, and the officials were wrong to move her and her family there.
In Matched the society is utopian because they are trying to take away all possibilities for mistakes. When the people turn 80, they are given poison in their favorite foods so they will die that night, they are not allowed to have children after 31, they are matched with someone based on how compatible they are, they have food made for them so they will get all necessary nutrients, they're job is picked for them, they cannot control anything they do, although Officials give the citizens choices, they have freedom to make the choices they want but both choices they would have to pick from are regulated and the officials have complete control over. “it’s one thing to make a choice and it’s another thing to never have the chance” (Condie,) This society has become dystopian because Cassia has learned the officials are only giving her what they think she needs, what they think is the best for her, there doing what they think is going to benefit her the most. Cassia learned that her grandfather didn't want to die at age 80, and he didn't need to, the officials were wrong, Cassia fell in love with Ky and Xander, the officials were wrong, Cassia wants to rebel and make her own choices but she is moved to the outer provinces, and the officials were wrong to move her and her family there.
Discuss the ways in which your novel is dystopian. How did your novel move from a utopian society to a dystopian society? Why do you think this utopian society was unsuccessful?