How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
It wasn't that our situation was so precarious. […] We weren't destitute. But I guess we weren't that far off either. (1.16)
America's family is in a place where many working-class and middle-class families find themselves: making ends meet, but one disaster away from complete bankruptcy. As a result, they're forced to live life like they're walking on a tight rope.
Quote #2
He had much steadier work than we did but got paid significantly less. There was never enough food for his family. (2.31)
Aspen's family is even worse off than America's. The cruel irony is that Aspen works his hunky little butt off, but no matter how hard he tries, there's literally no way he can work his family out of poverty. That's just not how the caste system was constructed.
Quote #3
I had seen him cry only once, when they whipped his brother in the square. Little Jemmy had stolen some fruit off a cart in the market. (2.72)
That's pretty rough. Given what we know about Aspen's family's financial status, however, Little Jemmy probably only stole fruit because he would have starved without it. He had no other choice. What's the other interpretation of the situation? That he just loves pulling off apple heists?
Quote #4
"Mary was born in the castle, and her parents are still here. I was an orphan, taken in because the palace needed staff [...] Lucy was sold to the palace." (13.159)
As we spend time in the palace, we gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the Illéan caste system. Most notably—and horribly—we learn that the country has a system of indentured servitude that's functionally indistinguishable from slavery. That's some nasty stuff.
Quote #5
"Lucy's family needed money for an operation for her mother. [...] Her mother never got better, they never made it out of debt." (13.161)
Lucy and her father were forced into lifelong slavery because...they couldn't pay a medical bill. Can you think of anything more messed up? Still, similar things happen every day in the real world, so this scenario might not be as far-fetched as you think.
Quote #6
"And we needed that money so badly at the time, the whole family was elated. But Kota kept almost all the money for himself." (15.83)
America's older brother Kota hit it big as an artist, but instead of using his newfound fame and fortune to help his family, he decided to hoard it all for himself. It's easy to judge him for this, but from another perspective, this is simply the end result of such an imbalanced caste system.
Quote #7
"But what about the Eights? Isn't that caste responsible for most for the crimes? They don't get any education." (17.164)
Maxon has some good ideas about how to help the people of Illéa, but he remains detached from the day-to-day reality of life in the lower castes. How couldn't he be? Fortunately, America is here to give him a fuller, more nuanced perspective.
Quote #8
"Have you ever been hungry, Maxon? [...] If there was absolutely no food here, nothing for your mother or father, [...] what would you do?" (17.165)
Here, America eloquently explains roughly ninety-nine percent of criminal activity: desperate people do desperate things. If Maxon's plan for combating crime rates doesn't actually include making people's lives better, it's going to be dead in the water before it even leaves the harbor.
Quote #9
"Good God. When you said you were only here for the food, you weren't kidding, were you?" he asked, shaking his head. (17.203)
Although Maxon knew that America had only taken part in the Selection for financial reasons, he didn't really know it, if you get what we're saying. This is another example of the prince's privileged existence preventing him from fully seeing his country's situation.
Quote #10
"[A]round the new year, there will be public assistance for food in every Province Services Office. Any Five, Six, Seven, or Eight may go there anytime for a free, nutritious meal." (18.93)
After his conversation with America, Maxon's eyes are opened to the suffering of his people. To that end, he starts an ambitious new program that seeks to push back against poverty by providing free meals to the lower castes. It's a great idea, and he deserves all the props in the world for it. Still, it won't be enough on its own—it has to be just the beginning.