The Selection Essay Questions

In which ways does America stand opposed to the caste system, and in which ways is she implicated in its survival?

The caste system is a way of organizing society and the people living in it. At the beginning of the novel, America has little desire to change her caste, even as she acknowledges the struggles that come with being a Five. By refusing to participate in the competition, she undermines its very existence, and her presence in the castle disrupts many of the systems that the elite took for granted. America also quickly befriends her maids and humanizes them in a way that most others don't. Still, America falls into her role as an elite relatively quickly. She grows comfortable being waited on, and she does not cultivate the same kind of relationship with the other servants in the palace. When she learns about Lucy's enslavement, she does not question this or consider it to be an abhorrent violation of human rights. America must accept the privileges her new role affords her if she will be able to use her authority to make a change in Illéa, but the very fact of this acceptance separates her from her people and removes her from the pressures of daily life that so many of them suffer.

How does sexuality factor into the oppression of the subjects of Illéa?

Pre-marital sex is illegal in Illéa, and the consequences of becoming pregnant outside of marriage are immediate incarceration and the automatic sentencing of the child to the eighth caste. Child protection, however, is a luxury only afforded to the highest members of society. The criminalization of sexuality weaponizes romantic relationships against the subjects and pushes them more quickly into marriage, but marriages are also a tool of the oppressor as they come to be solely political tools for the lower castes so that they might achieve mobility through the castes. When America is told by the royal official that she should have sex with the prince should he ask for it, it is made clear that the laws of the state only apply to those without the resources necessary to combat them. This hypocrisy is more than simply unjust; it is violent. It takes all agency away from the young girls in the novel and weaponizes their sexuality, turning it into a tool that can be used against them by the state.

How does the salary that the Selected receive for participating in the Selection enforce a toxic gender dynamic in Illéa?

By paying the girls to compete in the competition, the monarchy effectively creates a dynamic where their families are selling their bodies in exchange for payment. While the quality of life improves for most of the girls who participate in the Selection, and they enjoy their time in the palace despite the danger caused by rebel groups, these girls are coerced into offering their very selves to the prince in exchange for wealth and status. This dynamic is incredibly troubling, and underexamined by the novel. It also works within a larger dynamic between the genders where women are pushed into roles that emphasize their femininity and servitude. Even the queen, the most powerful woman in Illéa, is considered to be more of a mother and wife than a political leader.

How is America an unreliable narrator when it comes to the rebel groups?

America's education has been determined entirely by the state. Messaging about the importance of a strong central government has convinced her that any restrictions on her freedom are necessary for the maintenance of peace within the nation. This knowledge undercuts every perception America has of the actions of the rebels, even though she subconsciously resents the inequality the caste system creates as much as they do. America's eyes are opened when she realizes that the royalty is as ignorant about the intentions of the rebel groups as anyone else. By watching the reports as someone on the in, America realizes that the monarchy utilizes the rebels as a tool to misinform the public about its own failings. While the rebels are not necessarily heroes by any means, they are not afforded the perception of being legitimate political organizations. America thinks of them as violent barbarians, and her time in the palace poses her as a victim to their attacks in a way that will never endear her to their motives.

How does love become a revolutionary force in Illéa?

Of everything that the caste system distorts and monetizes, love is the most resistant to this process. While it is made evident by Mr. Singer that there are certain trials that even love cannot overcome, love is at its essence free, universal, and transformative. Love challenges the characters in the novel to look beyond themselves and their own needs. It pushes Aspen to break up with America even though she is all he wants in the world because he wants what is best for her. It is what causes Maxon to realize his own ignorance. And it is what gives America the strength to continue in the competition, even after she is given an out. In this stratified society, love spans the castes, works through them, and overcomes them. Love, especially inconvenient love, exists even as the characters attempt to fight it off. Ultimately, it works to equalize the characters, no matter their caste, and it provides them with a common understanding off of which they might build a community outside of class. It is love that encourages America to stand up for her maids, which brings the lucky few out of poverty, and it is love for which America risks everything she has, over and over again. It fundamentally stands in opposition to the caste system and lays the groundwork for its very destruction.