The Inheritance Games

The Inheritance Games makes a strong argument against the dangers of classicism, suggesting that social classes are a construct that ignores a person’s core essence. Avery is the ultimate argument for this. Although she proves herself just as smart as the Hawthorne boys on multiple occasions, she wasn’t raised with the advantages their wealth confers. The narrative repeatedly emphasizes Avery’s poor upbringing and juxtaposes it with the Hawthornes’ opportunities. For example, while Avery and the Hawthorns were both raised on games and riddles, Avery’s boardgames came from garage sales. She realizes the contrast when she sees Hawthorne House’s game room: “I was in awe. How many afternoons had my mom and I spent playing garage-sale board games? Our rainy-day tradition had involved setting up three to four and turning them all into one massive game. But this? There were games from all over the world” (268).

Avery’s “otherness,” her lack of belonging in the world of the elite 1% is constantly emphasized. Even with a new wardrobe, style, and media training, she doesn’t understand the language of the elite—like when Xander educates her about “prep school language,” telling her “refectory” is “prep school for cafeteria” (104) and “archive” is “prep school for library” (105).