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Ally Condie's Matched: Chapter Analysis

Decent Essays

The following excerpt from Ally Condie’s Matched, provides insightful context to the overall theme of the novel:

When she doesn’t answer right away, my father puts his arm around her and tells me. “The maple trees have become too much of a problem. The leaves get too messy in the fall. They’re not growing uniformly. For example, ours grew too big. Em’s is too small. And some of them have diseases, so they all need to be chopped down.” (Condie 252)

There are three topics present in this passage that point toward the general theme, these include control, conformity, and power. The prominent theme woven throughout the novel is the perceived perfection that exists within the Society, where individual creativity and liberty are forbidden in the …show more content…

For example, ours grew too big. Em’s is too small. And some of them have diseases…” (Condie 252). These trees pose a threat to the Society for they do not conform to their rules and this quote reflects this very notion in many instances throughout the novel. The narrator explains, “You’ve never seen me in anything but brown or black…Brown plainclothes. Black swimwear” (Condie 274). All citizens must comply with the rules and wear the colour clothes that have been assigned to their class. All citizens are only allowed to carry one artifact as well, “Though citizens of the Society are allowed one artifact each, they are hard to come by” (Condie 5). While it seems like an attempt to maintain societal equality, it really isn’t in the best interest of the citizens but rather the authorities in power. It is actually how the Society demeans civilians, stripping them of personal freedoms, rights, and choices. For this reason, the trees in this scenario are different sizes and some have diseases, similar to how the residents are divided by job statuses such as nutrition specialists and Officials, as well as societal classes such as Aberration and Anomalies. Despite these differences, all inhabitants have choices made for them; when and if they will be Matched, what they will eat, and when they will

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