Matched

“It’s so complicated—the Matching—and I am again reminded of the intricate steps of the dances they used to do long ago. This dance, however, is one that the Society alone can choreograph now.”

This quote illustrates the amount of control that the Society has over the lives of its citizens. It dictates when individuals find their marriage partner, as well as who their partner will be. However, vestiges of the past can still be felt, as protagonist Cassia is aware of “intricate” dances that existed before the Society took control. The Society has not yet succeeded in erasing all of history from the minds of the populace.

“We have not held hands like this since we were children. In doing that tonight, we move across the invisible divide that separates friendship from something more.”

When Xander takes Cassia’s hand to lead her onto the air train, he communicates that their relationship has evolved beyond friendship. Now that they are Matched, holding hands is allowed and forges an intimacy that did not previously exist. They are also liberated from the constraints that had been placed on their friendship. Now that the Society has forced their Match, they are free to become romantically involved—something they both seem to desire.

“I keep my fingers locked in his as we walk toward the game center. Maybe, if I don’t let go, it will prove that we are meant to be Matched. That the other face on the screen means nothing; that it was simply a momentary malfunction of the microcard.”

Cassia has put all her faith in the Society’s system of coupling romantic partners. When she Matched with Xander at her Banquet, she never questioned that it might be wrong. However, the second face that briefly appeared on Xander’s microcard has sown a seed of doubt. Cassia holds Xander’s hand to convince herself that the Match is real and infallible.