Plot Overview

SeventeenyearoldCassiaReyeslivesina
futuristicworldwhere
everything
isorganized
andplayedbytherulesofSocietys
governmentofficials.Societydetermineswho
youspendtherestofyourlifewith,howyou
spendyourlife,andwhenitends.Onthenight
ofherseventeenthbirthday,Cassiais
presentedtohermatch,whichisfortunately
XanderCarrow,herchildhoodbestfriend.
However,anerrorseemstooccurwhen
Cassialooksthroughthemicrocardaboutthe
matchinginformationalone,whichshowsa
faceotherthanXanders.Theboy,Ky
Markham,wasexplainedbyanofficialasan
Aberration,someonewhodidsomethingbad
enoughtoberejectedfromSociety,butCassia
knewhimasherneighborsadoptedson.After
hergrandfatherhashisLastBanquetonhis
eightiethbirthday,hegivesheragiftand
challengeshertogooutsideoftheusualrules.
WithKyshelp,Cassialearnstoreadtheletters
onthepoemsthathergrandfathergavetoher.
Alongtheway,shefindsherselffallingdeeper
forKywhileherfeelingsforXanderchangein
theoppositeway.WhenKyissentinthe
dangerousOuterProvincestofightinawar
againsttherebelswantingtooverthrow
Society,Cassiaventuresoutwithluckandhelp
fromherfamilyandfriendsinordertofindthe
boyshefeelssodeeplyfor,hopingthatthere
wouldbeanexttime.

Novel Notes

About the Author

BorninCedarCity,UtahonNovember2,1971,Ally
Condiegrewupwithhermother,whowasanartist,

Matched

exposinghertoartandpoetry.WhenCondiegrew
up,shestudiedatBrighamYoungUniversitywhere
sheearnedadegreeinteachingEnglish.She

By Ally Condie

proceededtoteachEnglishtohighschoolersin
UtahandeventuallyinNewYork.InNovemberof
2010,
Matched,
thefirstnovelofCondiestrilogy,
waspublished.Thesecondbook,
Crossed,
was

April 25, 2016

publishedinNovember2011,withthethirdbook,
Reached,
publishedinNovember2012.Condieis
widelyknownforbeinganauthorofyoungadult

Essential Quotes

fiction,alongwiththegenreofasciencefiction

dystopiansocietylikeherfamous
Matchedt
rilogy.

Historical Context

Addtwoquotesthatcapturetheessenceofthe
novel.Besuretocitethequotationsproperly.

Itsonethingtomakeachoiceanditisanother
thingtoneverhavethechance(Condie240).
SuzanneCollinscameoutwith
TheHungerGames

in2008
,
whichwasaboutadystopiansociety.
Theyaregivinguspiecesofareallifeinsteadof
thewholething.AndIlltellherthatIdontwantmy
Aroundthistime,thegenrestartedtoariseand
lifetobesamplesandscraps.Atasteofeverything
individuals,especiallyteens,becamedeeply
butamealofnothing(249).
Justtwoyearsbefore
Matched
waspublished,

interestedinalternativeworlds.When
Matched
was
released,thefactthatitwasmorethanjusta
regularteenfictionnovelgraspedtheattentionof
readers.Condiewasmostlyinspiredbya
conversationwithherhusband,whowonderedif
anyonewroteastoryaboutrelationshipsbeing
chosenandcontrolledbythegovernment.

Condie,Ally,andJesseGoossens.
Matched
.
Rotterdam:Lemniscaat,2010.Print.

Character Analysis

Themes

CassiaReyes
Decisions
IntheworldCassialivesin,thereare
S
ButIdontwanttobedefinedbytheirchoices nodecisions.Decisionsaremadeforthemby
Societysgovernmentofficials.Jobsaredecidedfor
(Condie313).
T
Itisstrangehowweholdontothepiecesofthe thecitizens.Suitablepartnersaredecidedforthe
citizens.Eventhedecisionofwhattohavefor
pastwhilewewaitforourfutures(11).
dinnerbasedontheamountofnutrientsinthe
E
Hesinpain.Iam,too.Itstrikesmethat
mealsisdecided.Inthebeginning,Cassiadidnt
perhapsthisispartofwhatwearefightingto
mindnotbeingabletohaveachoice,buttowards
choose.Whichpainwefeel(349).
theend,itshowscharacterdevelopmentwhenher
A
Myfacefitsperfectlyintothespotagainsthis
eyesopenandsheyearnstomakeherown
shoulder,nearhisneck,whereIcanbothhearhis
decisions.OnceshemeetsKy,therulesdont
heartandsmellhisskin.Imsafehere,too.Some
essentialpartofmeissaferwithKythananywhere seemtomatterasmuchanymore.

else(315).
Bravery
Throughoutthestory,Cassiasbravery
L
Mygreeneyes.Mycopperybrownhair,which
increasedagreatdeal.Sheremainedcourageous
looksmoregoldeninthecompactthanitdoesin
evenwhenshekeptshakilyleaningtowards
reallife.Mystraightsmallnose.Mychinwitha
protectingherfamilyandprotectingtheboyshe
traceofadimplelikemygrandfathers(7).
trulyloves.Braveryisthemainstrengthofkeeping

oneselfandoneslovedonessafe,evenwhen
XanderCarrow
timesarethreateninglydim.
SIfwe
could
choose,wouldyoueverhave

chosenme(356)?
Society
Inthenovel,Societydecideseverything
TWheredoesthatleaveme?
What
doesthat
aboutthecitizens,whichissimilartopresentlife.
leaveme(355)?
ThebookstatesthatSocietychosewhatcitizens
EBecauseyes,XanderhashelpedKyandme
wear,whotheyrewith,etc.,whichshows
timeandtimeagain.ButhowcanIexplainto
Xanderthat
he
isareasonforwantinganewworld, similaritiesofwhenthepublicsopinionsand
judgementsinfluenceonesownchoices.Societyis
too?Thatheisimportant(355)?
AIseeanansweringlookofmischiefinhiseyes themainandcentraltheme,insertingitselfinto
everyonesdailylivesandaffectingeveryaspect.
asheleansalittlecloser(147).
L...tohisbrightblueeyesandblondhairabove
hisdarksuitandwhiteshirt.Hesalwaysbeen
handsome,evenwhenwewerelittle(6).

KyMarkham

SButifyouwereMatched,Isaysoftly,whatdo
youthinkshedbelike?You,hesays,almost
beforeIvefinished.You(241).
TKysvoicesoundsflatIcanttellfromhistone
howhefeelsaboutthemanwhodiedyearsago,
themanwhosenameKyheldinhishandinthe
picture(234).

Motifs and Symbols

Sisyphus
SisyphuswasaGreekmythofaking
whowaspunishedforbeingcraftyandwasforced
torollastoneupahillthatalwaysfellbeforethe
topfortherestofhislife.Inthenovel,Kyand
Cassiaconstantlybroughtitupasasymbolfortheir
fightingspiritandhope..Eventhoughtheyprobably
wouldntgettotheirgoal,theyalwayskepttrying.

PersonalBelongings
Theartifactscufflinks,
compass,andthewatchrepresenttheirfamilys
history,whichSocietyisstrictlyagainst.Because
havinganythingfromthepastisunacceptableand
createsinequalitybetweenthecitizens,personal
belongingsthatarepasseddownfromonesfamily
areconfiscatedbytheofficials,whichisthem
basicallytakingawaytheidentitiesofthefamilies.

ColoredPills
Thegreenpillrepresentsstrength,
whiletheredpillstealsthecitizensmemoriesas
anotheroverpoweringtraitofSociety.Noneofthe
pillsarerecommendedtobeusedandCassia
refusesinordertostaypureandtorefuseSocietys
poweronher.

EHome,hesayssimply,stilllookingatme
(124).
AWhenIputthelastrockontopofthepile,Ky
putshishandovermine(240).
LAredscrape,almosthealedbutstillnoticeable,
ranalonghischeek(53).