Map of the Society

This is a map of the Society that Matched takes place in. It shows the many different provinces under the control of the Society. Cassia's province, Oria, in the blue central province encompassing the Centra. Cassia's mother is from the Farmlands and Arboretum section just outside of Oria. Ky is from the Outer Provinces (depicted by the large pink province in the south). This map helps me understand how far away Ky spent most of his childhood, and how far he had to travel to live with his aunt and uncle in Oria. 

This helps me better visualize the novel's contents, because I get a better idea of where everything takes place, the climate of the area, and the landscape. I know that there are cotton fields in Oria, and this fits in with modern-day central America. Also, this map shows me just how powerful the Society is; they are controlling nearly the entirety of North America. Also, it shows how similar everyone's lives are; that location doesn't change the fact that everyone is Matched to someone they don't know (most of the time), and is under the power of the Society.

I created this map based on information from the Matched trilogy, including text as well as a map from Crossed. Also, Aimmy Arrowshigh's map helped me create my own. Despite Sonoma Province looking like a dinosaur and Grandia like a trident (and Quebec having a face), I think I did a pretty good job of representing the Society.

In the book, it says that The Outer Provinces and River Sisyphus (the largest river in North America; the Columbia) were meant to be West of Oria; that Central was IN Oria Province; Acadia had to be "many miles" East of Oria and full of "rock and forest"; Tana had to border Camas.

What I did differently from Aimmy Arrowshigh is that I made the Outer Provinces actually border the Society in the south. I found it logical that if they were 'outer' they must be on the outside protecting the important provinces in the middle. Also, I made Centra in the current geographical center (even though this would probably change in a cataclysmic shift) of North America, as opposed to just the center on the US. I figured that after such a fall in the government, then a rise of a new one, there'd be no separation between Canada and the United States (and Mexico), and it would be one  large country split into many different provinces. I also decided to separate Oria from the Farmlands, because in the book, it says that Cassia's mother and father were from different provinces, and both came to live in Oria.

Picture 2

     The cover I created features something standing out in a sea of sameness. In a world were perfect man-woman marriages are the norm, and no choices are the be made, a girl is trapped between two boys. Used to others making the decisions for her, Cassia now must choose between two amazing boys. But, yet, somehow the love triangle seems to blend in as much as it stands out; sure, it is something different, but not something the Society can control (or so they think).

          The male/female symbols are generic, and in a world where no one is different in any way, this is a perfect representation of 'normalcy'. The font I used looks cold, and hard; much like the  writing used on ports by the Society and society members. This is the writing everyone knows; not the loopy, swirly, natural cursive writing of today. Blue is used to represent the blue pill; the one that will keep you alive if you have water. It shows that citizens are only given what they think is enough, what they think they need. They have other people make important decisions for them; something that, in reality, is important to do yourself. The green is kept to link with the original title, but also to show that everything is calm, and controlled within the Society; that this 'love triangle' can be easily controlled by the Society.

Picture 1

The cover art of 'Matched' is quite interesting, and tells a lot of the book. It shows a girl (presumably Cassia) trapped in a bubble, lightly pushing on the sides. She is wearing a green dress (the one she wore to her Matching ceremony); a beautiful dress that is borrowed and must be returned after the ceremony. It is poofy, and over the top; not something she would wear every day. It is almost ironic; making one feel like a princess, when even though her life seems perfect, there are dark truths hidden from them. She is trapped in the bubble of the Society, and will never do anything with her life but lightly push on the sides of her cage. Although the bubble symbolizes Cassia's imprisonment, it isn't a violent imprisonment - it's just that she is living in a bubble, unaware of the dark truths that are hidden all around her.

Green symbolizes nature (where Cassia first met Ky after the Matching and also Cassia/Ky's summer activity; hiking), growth (of her knowledge as the book goes on), hope (for a happy Match and life), youth, money (which is ironic, as there is no money, or anything to trade in the Society) and envy (of a better time, where people were allowed to marry whoever they want). Green is also the colour of the green tablet from the book. This is a tablet that is used to calm and pacify. It seems to convey such a message that no great action will happen in the book; out of all the books in the trilogy, this is the one with the least violence, and most knowledge-attaining. Also, Cassia's pose doesn't show that she is concerned about her imprisonment. She's not panicked; not fighting... yet. The cover art perfectly conveys Cassia's world at the start of Matched: its a false fairy tale. She's calm, unaware of the fact that her princess life is even a little bit problematic.

Source: Condie, Ally. Cover Page. Matched. New York: Dutton, 2010. N. pag. Print.

Quotes 2

“I am trapped in glass and I want to break out and breathe deeply but I'm too afraid that it will hurt.”

This quote is about wanting to be yourself, and express your emotions, but not being able to because you are afraid of what others will think, or what will happen to you. This quote represents the beginning of the end of the book because that is what Cassia is trying to do. She is trying to break free of the perfect mould of the Society, but is too afraid of the consequences. This quote is thought (by Cassia) when she realizes how truly unfair the Aberration title is. Ky can never be Matched, and he will never be happy. She realizes that he will be alone his whole life and will never know what it would be like to have chosen something different. She knows that they both want to be together, but that would be violating the Society's rules, and putting them both in danger of exile.

          This reminds me of our society; where we are constantly judged for being ourselves, and not fitting in. We are all bullied by someone who thinks we're different and strange. We are constantly trying to fit in, and not stand out in a crowd. We all want to express ourselves, and  do what we want to do (opposed to what others want us to do), but we are afraid of hurting ourselves when we break through that cage. Will people accept us for who we are, or will they take out their sticks and stones and try to break our bones? 
         In our society, the people who are judged the most are homosexuals. They want to be themselves, and express their feelings, but there are constantly people who are against them, and will do anything to make them 'normal'. This is not something that can be cured with a certain herbal tea; these are a person's feelings, and beliefs. They are people who want to break out of their shells, and express themselves, but are too afraid of getting cut, or hurting.
         A book that reminds me of this quote is Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. In this book, there are two Will Greysons (as the name suggests), one of which is gay, and doesn't know how to show it, or act it. He has a girlfriend, and when his best friend (a girl) starts texting him (pretending to be a boy), he is in love. He knows that he truly is homosexual, and wants to express it to this new boy he met online. He is afraid of what others will think of him (his mother, as well as his girlfriend and best friend,  and his classmates). The book is about his journey to become his own person, and not to care about being judged by society.

Quotes 1

"It is one thing to make a choice, 

and it is another thing to never have 

the chance."

I chose this quote because it speaks the truth: when making a choice, you can weigh the options, see what you think is best for you, and select it. Sure, only you can be blamed for making the wrong decision, but you are also the one to be credited for making the correct decision. However, when someone else makes decisions for you, you cannot know if there is ever anything better, that could have been yours.

I think this quote represents this section (the middle of the middle), because that is what it is all about. Choices make us who we are, and without even the option to do so, we aren't unique. This reminds me of being a child. When you are young, your parents make all the decisions for you; what you eat, what you wear, how you spend you day... However, this is only because as toddlers, humans are incapable of knowing what they should do, and need constant nurturing so they would eventually make decisions for themselves. This inability to make you own decisions also relates to the current political situation in North Korea. This is a country that has a totalitarian government whose citizens have one of the lowest-ranking human rights records of any country. Political expression is tightly controlled in North Korea. Anyone who deviates government decisions is sent to labor camps, set aside for that purpose. A book that is similar to Matched is the Giver (by Lois Lowry). Here, everything is gray and colorless. There is no creativity, amusement or free thinking. People are given their work placements based on past research done by members of the higher class. People are given no choice as to who they marry or where they work.

Can I Take a Message?

Every book is written because the author wants to convey some sort of message. He/She wants the readers to believe something, or see something in a different way. 

In Matched, Ally Condie wants to tell readers that free thinking and imagination is what makes us truly unique, and that taking that away is taking away our identity. In making everyone look the same, and do the same things, controlling everything people do, and bombarding everyone with propaganda, the Society is slowly stripping away everyone's creativity. Without it, we are all just mindless machines that follow routine and blindly follow unjust rules.

We don't know just how lucky we are to live in a such a society in which we are allowed to do what we want, eat where/when/what we want, and marry who we love. We are free to make mistakes and live our lives how we want to. Because "It’s better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way" -Allan Watts.

To sum it up into one phrase, Condie's message in Matched is "knowledge versus ignorance". 

I believe Ally Condie conveyed this message well and thoroughly, as it was easy to understand, and made sense. Today, we take many things for granted, and imagination is one of them. Condie gave a message that was clear and related to the real world, and made readers really think about what the world would be without everything we have today. 

Condie's message is repeated several times, and that is one of the things Cassia wants. The novel shows the ignorant side of society (which is practically everyone), and how a girl is becoming less and less so; she is gaining knowledge. 

New Book Cover

This is the book cover that I created for Matched. It represents the uniformity of the Matching Ceremony, and the sameness of the matches. However, in the bottom right corner, you can see a 'mistake'... two boys and one girl; the love triangle between Cassia, Xander and Ky.

Matched in Today's World

Ally Condie has written about many social justice issues that citizens in the Society face in Matched. Many of them are real issues that are faced today.

The most obvious and prominent social justice issue in today's society is eliminating the individual. As we are all struggling to become 'normal' and to fit in with the crowd, we are getting rid of the creativity inside us, and soon enough, that is all we'll ever be: the same. In Matched, Condie stresses the point that without the power of free will, we have nothing. We live nothing lives doing nothing jobs and eating nothing food. We live to procreate and keep the human race from dying out. In the Society, where no one is free to think the way they want to, there is nothing to live for.

These days, when everyone is striving to wear the same clothes, have the same hair, and live the same life, we are becoming more and more what the Society wants us to be. We are becoming monkeys that will follow every command without a blink of hesitation. They want us to be the same, so that we can all be easily controlled.

We live in a time where we are free to be ourselves; even encouraged to do so. In a few hundred years, we may not even have that.

Something good that Ally Condie is showing us about The Society that is different from our world is discrimination (or lack of it). She is showing us how much better we function as humans without judging others by their skin colour, and looking past their stereotypes to see what they're really like. In the Society, where skin colour isn't mentioned, or looked down upon (we as readers don't even know whether there is more than one 'normal' skin colour), everyone is treated as well/badly as the next person. They are not given jobs based on their race (because there is none), or gender, but rather on their skill sets. Everything functions more smoothly when there is nothing to judge others by, or discriminate them in any way.

The Seven Basic Plots

Christopher Booker's The Seven Basic Plots is a book (extremely long and repetitive, I hear) that states that there are only seven basic plots that a story can have. Matched falls into several of those plot categories perfectly and follows the mould Booker set out.

Overcoming the Monster

• Cassia finds that the 'great evil' of the society is the lack of knowledge, creativity and free will they give their citizens. With the help of Ky, Cassia is determined to learn what the Society has kept from her for years.

Rags to Riches

• Surrounded by dark forces that try to suppress her, Cassia slowly blossoms into a mature figure, that understands more about the Society than anyone else. Ultimately, Cassia will become a hero to her people, and will allow everyone the freedom to be themselves.

The Quest

• Cassia and Ky go on a quest to learn why such a 'mistake' as their matching was made, and how this effects them as a community

Comedy 

• Cassia and Ky are destined to be together (as they learn more about each other, and grow to love one another), but the Society (and Ky's status) is keeping them apart. Eventually, the Society will have to give in (in the second and third books in the Matched trilogy) and Cassia and Ky will be free to be together. This is/will be a cascade of events that will lead to everyone knowing how cruel the Society really is and will allow for more people to be together because they love each other, not because they are forced to marry.

The remaining three plots that I didn't find applied to Matched are as follows:

Voyage and Return

• Protagonist heads off to a faraway land with crazy rules, ultimately triumphs over the madness and returns home far more mature than he/she set out.

Tragedy

• The flip side of the Overcoming the Monster plot; the protagonist is the Villain. We get to watch him/her slowly spiral into darkness before he/she's finally defeated, freeing the land from his/her evil influence.

Rebirth

• As with the Tragedy plot, but the protagonist manages to realize the errors in his/her ways and manages to fix them before it's too late, and manages to dodge a bullet in inevitable defeat.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

-- Dylan Thomas

          This poem was featured as the one that Cassia's grandfather gave to her in the hidden compartment of her compact. It was smuggled by Cassia's great-grandmother during the time they were deciding on the 100 Poems. This one wasn't chosen because it tells you to fight. It says that no matter what kind of life you had, that you must fight death. It implies that no one should die without fighting for life. 
         The Society didn't like this poem because in such a uniform society, what would happen if people didn't want to die? What if they went against the Society's wishes for a death at age 80, then where would everyone be? How could the Society control everyone that refused to be controlled? However, Cassia couldn't stop thinking about this poem, and it sparked her curiosity for another world, where everyone can do whatever they liked.

Social (In)Justice

There are many social injustices in the novel Matched, but among all the bad, there is some good as well.

Social Justices

• Discrimination
• In this future world, there seems to be no discrimination. Everyone is equal (or so it seems) and no one is treated differently because of their skin colour (even though there is no 'race'), gender, religion (there is none), clothing (as everyone wears the same thing), or sexual orientation (there is none other than the 'normal')
• Distribution of Wealth
• Even though the leaders of the Society obviously have the most power, that is where the 'unequal distribution of wealth' ends. In this society, there is no money; nothing to trade. You work, but you don't get paid directly. You and your family get food, clothing, schools and recreational activities. Everyone has the same things as everyone else, and there is no 'higher class' in the society.

However, every perfect society has its imperfections.

Social Injustices

• Distribution of Power
• When there is no money to be earned, knowledge is the most powerful thing. To quote the book, "Knowledge doesn't fail us."
• The more you know, the more you are likely to see that what the Society is doing is wrong, and the more you will want to rebel. So, instead of telling people the truth; that free will is something everyone should have, and it should never be traded for a long life.
• The Society worked for years and years to build a perfect place to live in where everyone is equal, yet have no control over their lives.
• Inhumane treatment of criminals
• The fact that one can be banished into the 'Outer Provinces' for a crime they didn't commit is a large issue in the book. However, being banished is not the only thing that happens to you when you commit a crime. The Society takes you to the Outer Provinces before you are killed off, forgotten by your peers.
• Jobs
• As 'perfect' as the jobs are, they are still given out according to 'status'. If you are an Aberration, you get the toughest jobs not meant for other members of the Society. For example, Ky is put to work (earlier than all his friends) at the food disposal factory, where, even though gloves are worn, the hot water burns his skin.
• Eliminating the Individual
• Without the power to think, do or act as one wishes, one doesn't have any individuality.
• You are not free to be your own person, but must do everything according to plan and careful predictions of other people.
• No freedom of speech, expression or will

Dystopia? You bet.

Dystopia: A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and
the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic,
technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Dystopias, through an exaggerated
worst-case scenario, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or
political system.

If it wasn't already obvious that Matched is a dystopia, here are a few things that are sure to convince you:

Elements of Dystopia in Matched

• The illusion of utopia
• The Society picks out the best thing for everyone, and makes the citizens think that a perfect match/job is a perfect life
• Citizens are tricked into thinking that the Society is perfect, and that this perfection will make their lives perfect, too
• Uniformity> Individuality
• Everyone has to wear the same clothing; brown pants and a brown shirt
• Workers are to wear blue (all the time)
• Even girls that are being Matched only have a certain amount of choices for dress. The illusion of freedom of choice is shown here, when actually, everything is so well predicted, that there is practically no choice at all
• Constant surveillance
• Citizens are constantly monitored by the Society. You cannot tell a friend a secret without an Official knowing exactly what you said. Also, nothing can happen in your house without it being heard by the 'port'.
• Even garbage disposals are monitored to detect unusual substances sent down them
• Propaganda
• Free thinking is bad; look at the great life we've given you, why do you need to think about it yourself?
• The Society decides what movies teens will watch during their free time; of course, they use this time to remind them how bad the past was (filled with pictures of war and fighting), and when the Society is mentioned, happy faces and smiles fill the screen
• Forbiddance of ideas and information
• There are only a certain amount of books, songs and poems that the citizens can enjoy, the rest are burned and forgotten forever.
• Also, the Society almost never tells the citizens the complete truth.
• In the event of an emergency, citizens are forced to take a red pill that will make them forget everything the Society doesn't want them to remember.
• People live in a dehumanized state
• The Society doesn't treat its criminals in a humane way.
• The government has the right to declare a person an 'Aberration' for a crime they didn't commit. They can banish people to wherever they like without any evidence of what they did 'wrong'.
• Also, the Society dehumanizes its citizens by making all the important decisions for them (where they work, who they marry, what they eat, how they die)

Our World vs. The Society

The Society seems like the perfect place to live; three square meals a day, a perfect job, a perfect mate and a long life. However, everything is not as it seems.

• there is a strict curfew that MUST be followed
• all citizens must wear regulation clothing (be it blue for workers or grey for everyone else) only clothing for special occasions may be a different colour
• assigned jobs that best match one's skill set
• food is delivered daily to each person according to specific nutritional needs
• exercise is monitored, and one is not allowed to exceed the daily exercising quota
• citizens are Matched with their lifelong partners in the year of their seventeenth birthday (unless they choose to be a 'Single')

They claim that because in a time before theirs (our time) everyone had 'too much' technology, and the results were disastrous. Now, with only the technology they need, the information intake is more specific. For example, nutrition specialists don’t need to know how to program air trains, and sorters don’t need to know how to research diseases. Such specialization keeps citizens from becoming overwhelmed. They don’t need to understand everything. Because of this overwhelming amount of... well, everything, so the Society has limited everything into the "100 Best". This includes 100 best works of art, poems, books and lessons. All other works, especially those that promote free-thinking and rebellion, have been destroyed. 

As well as controlling how people live, the Society also controls how and when people die. As cancer and deadly diseases have been cured/ceased to exist, and dangerous people (anomalies) are controlled, death is expected. One doesn't wake up afraid that this day will be the last; they know that they will die on their eightieth birthday. It is an orderly procedure;  you are given your last meal, visited by your family and friends, then sent to a lab where Officials put you to sleep, then cremate your body. Citizens are even given a chance at immortality: before your death, a swab is taken from your cheek and preserved for the future. The Society promises that once they have technology advanced enough, they will bring people back from the dead.

In our world, we have much leeway over what we want to do, and who we want to be. For example, we are get to wear what we like (but we do have guidelines for what is considered 'appropriate' or not) and do what job we want to do (even if it may not be the 'perfect' one for you). We are free to choose who we want to spend our lives with, but we can also change our minds about that person. We have the right to read what we want (though some books may be banned for many reasons), and think how we like.

In a world where creativity and free thinking is encouraged, how can we truly know the power of our minds until we have our imagination stripped away from us?

Book Review

Matched: Review
By Tunja Domic for Major Newspaper

Matched by Ally Condie used a worn-out, chewed up, and overused love triangle theme to create a multi-dimensional world where everything is so screwed up, that it is a great setting for a dystopia. It is perfectly paced; the flaws of the Society are revealed in perfect time to the character development, and so little is known about the main character (physically) that she is quite easy to relate to.

Matched fits perfectly into its 'young adult' dystopian novel category with the totalitarian government, just-enough romance and conflict - tons of it. Even with a typical plot-line, Condie manages to captivate readers everywhere with her easy readability and other-world Society. 

However, I found this basically a repeat of The Hunger Games and The Giver, but there were many original items to the mix, as well. What Hunger Games' 'Panem' had that the Society doesn't is the power to create. As the Society has taken the 'hundred best' of everything (books, songs, poems...), and nobody knows how to write - they only take words from the hundred best. Over the course of the book, Cassia learns to appreciate writing and creativity. As this book was intended for 'young adults', it gives a perfect view on how important freedom and creativity really are.

Something else I enjoyed is how the book managed to turn the love triangle plot-line into more than just a story about “I want this, and this, but I can only have one”—Ally Condie instead created a world where the love triangle led Cassia not only to desire freedom of choice, but the ability to express herself and share thought and feeling with others through words.

Author Ally Condie slowly sets the stage for her young adult series about a dystopian society where, in exchange for a long, disease-free and peaceful life, citizens follow rigid guidelines that keep them in a state of ignorance. Unfortunately, Condie keeps the reader in this state as well, withholding significant details until the story's end.

Final Verdict: 

Pass, great for young adult readers who enjoyed the Hunger Games and Divergent, and want a new dystopian  society to jump into.

Characters

Cassia Reyes (Main Antagonist): a seventeen year old girl who lives in Oria Province, and is as normal as normal can be. She is a talented 'sorter', and enjoys going to Showings. She enjoys hiking, as well as words (poems, especially), and is best friends with Xander Carrow.

Xander Carrow: Cassia's best friend since First School (lives on the same street as she does), and is now her Match. He likes swimming and games (especially Check).

Ky Markham: A boy in Cassia's neighborhood who used to live in the Outer Provinces, nephew and adopted son of the Markhams. He works at the nutrition disposal office and is in Cassia's hiking class. Also, he is an Aberation, and will never receive a Match.

Grandfather: Cassia's grandfather, and one of her closest friends, even though he is almost eighty. Was a Sorter in his younger years. Grandfather gives Cassia her artifact, a compact, and shows her the hidden compartment (containing stolen writing) .In the book, after Grandfather dies, Cassia always remembers his wise and kind words.

Abran Reyes: The father of Cassia and Bram, he is a Sorter and an Official for the Society. He sorts out artifacts for the community. His project (in the beginning) is to dig up the old library and incinerate any books the Society deems unnecessary.

Bram Reyes: Cassia's little brother. He is a typical troublemaker, and he tends to be late. His artifact is Grandfather's watch, which is really important to him. Also, Bram stands up for what he thinks is right. He has hope when there is virtually nothing to hope for.

Molly Reyes: Cassia and Bram's mother. Works in the Arboretum, and is originally from the Farmlands.

Summary

In a society, where a long life is guaranteed, as well as the perfect job and ideal mate, and every day is expected, a rare malfunction happens. At her Matching Ceremony, when Cassia is matched with her best friend, Xander (a rare occurrence that one knows their mate), she thinks it's ideal that the two of them are placed together. 

However, back at home, when Cassia decides to read the microchip given to her (containing all the data about her Match), she is surprised to find not her best friend, but a strange boy. His face flashes on the screen, just before it goes black.

She is assured that this was just a glitch; that she couldn't possibly be matched with this other boy... Xander was the one for her! However, she knows this other boy too... Ky Markham; the orphan who moved in with a family down the street... Ky, who was an Aberation (someone who has committed a crime (or is the relative of someone who has) and is punished for it) and cannot be Matched with anyone.

Cassia's dying grandfather gives her an illegal poem, which she loves dearly and cannot stop thinking about its beautiful words. She shares lines of it with Ky in exchange for learning how to write cursive. On their hiking trips, they share their long-forgotten information, and get to know each other better.

Cassia begins to find herself wanting to know more and more about Ky, and she realizes she's slowly begun to fall in love with him. Near the end of the book, they kiss, but after that, Ky is taken away by the Officials to the Outer Provinces. Cassia and her family are also brought to the Provinces. She promises that she will find Ky, with the help of the compass Ky gave her and blue tablets Xander gave her. She also has to move away after the Society takes Ky away to the farmlands.

In a world where everyone is the same, will a spark in the sea of grey save everyone or send them further into the grasp of the totalitarian government. 

Introduction

Society Matched them,

But Love 

Will set them Free.

          In The Society, 

                   Officials decide.

          Who you love,

                    Where you work,

          When you die.

Cassia has 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 boy's face flash on the screen for a second before it goes black.

Now she is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky,

Between the only life she ever knew and a path no one dares to follow...

Between perfection and passion.

Matched

Allie Condie