In Matched, the Society's power is absolute. There is no luck and no choices—only doing exactly what the Society tells you to do, when they tell you to do it, with whom they tell you to do it, and the way they tell you to do it. And don't even think about questioning them, or thinking you're smarter than them, or—god forbid—rebelling. We shudder to think about what would happen. But lest you think things are completely hopeless for the Society's citizens, our brave heroine Cassia manages to seize a tiny bit of her own power.
Questions About Power
- What is the author's view on power? How do you know?
- Are there any signs of the Society losing its grip on its power? What do you think might happen if that power were to be threatened?
- What hints do we see of how the Society came to have such absolute power and control over its citizens? Is there a feasible story for how this can happen?
Chew on This
In reality, the Officials are not any more powerful than regular ol' citizens—they're bound by the same rules and order, but they have more to lose.
Power as absolute as the Society's is inherently fragile—it is impossible to maintain forever. Regardless of Cassia's personal rebellion, we see hints throughout the book that Society's power is weakening in general.