How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I looked over at Lucy. At least in my case, one of us got to make the decision. She had no choice when it came to losing the man she loved. (13.163)
America thinks that she has it rough, but being Selected is a dream compared to being an indentured servant at the palace. Anne, Mary, and Lucy have zero freedom, but, unlike America, they have no hope of ever gaining it. That must feel really constraining.
Quote #8
"America, I might have my family, but imagine how embarrassing it is to have your parents watch as you attempt to date for the first time." (15.40)
Maxon feels confined by the Selection, too, but in a much different way from the America feels. America feels constrained because she's out of her comfort zone and forced under the thumb of some princely nerd (or is it a nerdy prince?). For Maxon, however, the situation is emotionally constraining because an entire country is watching him date for the first time. We don't envy that.
Quote #9
It seemed so funny that the palace—the beautiful cage—was the one place I could actually let myself be open about everything I'd been feeling. (16.1)
As America grows closer to Maxon, the palace starts feeling less like a prison and more like a sanctuary. What a completely and utterly unrelated coincidence. Now, America still doesn't feel entirely comfortable in this bizarro place where crowns are considered casual wear, but it's a good start.