Character Analysis
Cassia's family is a huge part of her life. In Cassia's father, Abran, we see hints of her rebellious spirit. She says:
My father sometimes bends the rules for those he loves. For my mother. For Grandfather. (17.43)
Knowing this, it's not particularly surprising that Cassia winds up bending the rules a bit because of her love for Ky, is it? Daddy Reyes makes the ultimate rule-breaking sacrifice for his family when he discards Grandfather's tissue sample. Cassia explains:
My father covers his face with his hands, a gesture so sudden and anguished that I take a step back. "I didn't lose it. […] I destroyed it. That day. He made me promise that I would. He wanted to die on his own terms." (12.28)
Despite the fact that it's destroying him internally and putting his status at risk when he inevitably gets in trouble for it, Cassia's dad would do anything for his family, including honoring Grandfather's dying wish.
Cassia's mom's family loyalty is just as strong but manifests itself in a different way. When Molly's faced with the choice of turning in rebels for growing an illegal crop or turning a blind eye to protect them, she considers doing the latter—like Cassia's father may have done. However, she ultimately makes a different choice. As she puts it:
"[…] when I came home again and saw all of you, I realized I had to report the truth. I had to fulfill my duty to the Society and guarantee our happiness. And keep us all safe." (27.62)
For Cassia's mom, doing the safe thing is the best way to protect her family, so she opts for that route. And Cassia's got this part of her mom inside her as well; she says, "I may be a sorter like my father and my grandfather before me, but I am also my mother's daughter" (21.18). It's these competing desires—with no clear right or wrong choice—that Cassia wrestles with throughout the novel, and her parents—as characters—make it clear why she is so torn. In a society this controlling, there are any number of right choices to make.
Little bro Bram throws an extra wrench in Cassia's decision—while her parents are strong enough to handle what she does, Cassia is extremely protective over her sweet brother, Bram. She says, "What I risk has a limit. I won't risk Bram" (18.53). Sweet, innocent Bram may not be as weak as he seems though, as he too exerts a tiny bit of defiance toward the Officials when they take his artifact—"'You can take it,' Bram says, 'but it will always be mine'" (18.69). Ha. Perhaps there's a future rebel hiding inside him, too?
In whatever ways Cassia's family may disagree with one another, one thing they have going for them is that they always support each other, no matter what. Cassia's mom "knows what my father did. She knows what I want. She knows and even though she would not destroy a tissue sample or love someone who was not her Match, she still loves us, even though we have done those things" (31.103). It's a good thing too, because as this book ends, Cassia's poised to need all the help she can get.