Matched: Love?

By: Michelle

Dictionary.com defines love as: 

• a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
  
• a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
  
• sexual passion or desire.
  
• a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.

But what is love really? Can it be defined in words? Can it be defined using feelings? Reading Matched brings up the question of love and what it means in this dystopian society. In a place where your "perfect match" is picked for you at seventeen, one has to wonder whether this society has ever experienced love or whether they even understand the concept of love as we know it today. Although the book has not gone into detail about how they choose these matches, it is assumed that the main factors are good genetics and compatibility. But one also has to ask what makes two people compatible? Is it similar interests? A physical attraction? Some believe that two similar people will have the greatest chance at everlasting love, whereas some will argue that it is opposites who attract. I believe that sometimes you don't choose who you fall in love with. Sometimes it is completely unexpected and takes you by surprise. You could have an image in your mind of who your "perfect" person is, but end up with someone who may not fit into the category of what you believe to be a perfect mate. And being with this person may make you happier than you ever could have imagined. So one ask to ask, if people are matched with one person, is that giving them a chance to experience love? Or does love perhaps evolve and have a different definition in this dystopian society? So far the couples that we have seen in the novel (those who were matched), seem to be quite happy and "in love". But if they had the choice to be with anyone at all, would they choose that same person that was once chosen for them? 

 

Cassia ends up being matched with a childhood friend of hers, Xander. She seems content with the choice until an image of another boy she knows flashes up on the screen. This image causes her to begin wondering who she is meant to be with. She does find out that the other boy who flashed up on the screen is forbidden from being matched with anyone and this somehow intrigues her even more. Is she interested in him because he is unattainable? Is she interested in him because she thinks that there may be someone out there who is better for her than Xander? I think the fact that she is confused by the situation means that she probably does not understand or really feel love and is trying to define her feelings for these boys. I am curious to see how the novel pans out. I am curious to see whether she will rebel against the decision made for her by her society and how everything unfolds. I will revisit this topic of love again when I finish the book.

On an ending note, I would like to try to define what love means to me. I believe that love is when you cannot imagine yourself being with anyone else besides the person you are with.