The Elite

These chapters circle around the decision America confronts about choosing between Aspen and Maxon, which essentially means deciding her future, her status, and her identity. This choice is not merely between two romantic partners but also between two vastly different lives, each representing divergent paths and values. Aspen symbolizes her past, rooted in the familiarity and stability of her former life as a Five, while Maxon represents the unknown potential of a future as a royal figure, filled with luxury but also great responsibility. Her internal conflict continues to stem from her inability to sort out her feelings or know which future she wants. Her confusion of affections between Aspen and Maxon lingers when meeting with Aspen reminds her of the familiarity and comfort she felt with him once; he is a known entity, and their future would be more secure now that she is a Three and he is a Two, thanks to entering the palace guard. But Maxon can offer her more opportunities, as signified by the more expensive and artistic bracelet he gives her, superior to Aspen’s button. These contrasting gifts serve as symbols of the different lives each man offers her: Aspen’s button reflects a simple, humble love, whereas Maxon’s bracelet represents wealth, refinement, and the broader responsibilities of a royal life.

Along with the threats from the rebels, which endanger their immediate safety and offer an ominous foreshadowing, America feels confused about Maxon’s character. When he shows her the princess suite, empty after Amberly moved out to become queen, the characterless nature of the room suggests how America cannot envision her future in any detail. This empty room also serves as a symbol of the uncertain and undefined role America would need to step into, should she choose to become princess. It reflects her own hesitance and the blank slate of her future, which she feels unequipped to fill. She doesn’t yet know what choosing Maxon will mean, and she cannot determine the criteria she should use to make her choice, whether it should be public favor, her family’s wishes, Maxon’s affection, or her feelings about the responsibility that will be required of her as a crown princess.

America’s confusion is amplified by the sharpening competition among the girls as another elimination looms, which creates further interpersonal conflict and reflects on the themes of ambition, power, personal worth, and choice. America wants friends and allies—especially now that Marlee is gone—and the others understand they are rivals. Kriss and her developing relationship with Maxon provide the first real threat to America’s status in the Selection. Maxon has expressed a preference for America from the beginning, but now, Kriss provides a foil and contrast. Kriss’s character serves as a mirror image of what America might aspire to be: polished, refined, and unerringly supportive of Maxon’s choices. Kriss’s willingness to adapt to the expectations of royalty stands in contrast to America’s rebellious streak and reluctance to conform, highlighting the tension of Rebellion Against Expectations and Authority. America notes several times that Kriss has the same ladylike, quiet quality as Queen Amberly, which seems to mark her as royal material, but Kriss is also upfront and clear about her affection for Maxon. America can’t be as clear, and she sees Kriss’s conviction as a threat and a rebuke. Celeste’s outright greed provides a running commentary on the question of ambition and what qualities confirm a girl as the proper choice, whether this should be care of Maxon as a partner, suitability to be a princess, or the desire to possess the crown. The contrasting approaches of Kriss and Celeste further complicate America’s understanding of what it means to be a princess and ruler.

America’s growing awareness of the nature of the job she would be taking on as princess also motivates her character arc through these chapters, reflecting how her own ambitions are changing in light of the external conflict of circumstances outside the palace. Her meeting with the Italian princess is a pivotal moment, as it opens America’s eyes to how she is perceived by international allies and introduces the possibility that she could enact real change if given the power. The Italian princess’s support and her gift of a personal telephone number symbolize a connection to the broader world beyond Illéa and the potential for diplomatic influence, adding to America’s realization of what her role as princess could entail. America’s connection with the Italian princess also confirms that America can succeed as a hostess and further confirms her ability to belong among royalty, but the Italians also outline the deeper political unrest in the fictional world and the problems with the caste system. Several factions are concerned with, or angry about, the decisions Gregory Illéa made about the country, which America increasingly realizes were choices made as the result of Gregory’s personal ambition and wish for power, not made for the benefit of a struggling and ravaged nation. America’s reading of Gregory Illéa’s diary provides further insight into the manipulative foundations of Illéa, deepening her resolve to question the structures of power that she might be expected to uphold as queen. The diary becomes a symbol of the hidden truths and the dangers of unchecked authority.

The war in New Asia, the causes and aims of which are unclear, also reflects on the country’s insecurity, as does the inability to repel rebel attacks. Maxon can’t illuminate on these circumstances, further limiting the information available to America, and his affections also seem to be divided, casting more doubt on America’s prospects, as well as the country’s future. The lack of transparency and clarity around the war mirrors the confusion and uncertainty America feels in her own life, tying her personal conflict to the broader instability of the nation.

In the meantime, glimpses of unrest among her maids touches on the injustice of the caste system, bringing it more fully to America’s attention and stirring her worries about what her new caste means. America’s growing awareness of these disparities begins to inform her vision of justice and the kind of change she might advocate for if she were to become queen. The revelation about Marlee’s new status as kitchen maid and Carter’s wife shows that Maxon, like America, believes in The Need to Protect the Vulnerable, which marks a powerful quality they hold in common. That Maxon had to offer his aid in secret, however, while in public performing as the prince, makes America concerned about the compromises of his position. This duality in Maxon’s character reflects the potential change of public versus private personas, as he navigates the expectations placed upon him while quietly working against his father’s harsh policies. America’s recognition of this struggle brings her closer to Maxon emotionally, but it also underscores her uncertainty about whether she can navigate these compromises herself. Her father might assure her of such, and America might be seeking Silvia’s help as a mentor, but she isn’t convinced herself that she can be a princess. However, her evolving sense of purpose and her desire to fight for justice signal the growth in her character, setting the stage for the more decisive actions she will take as the novel progresses.