Matched, by Ally Condie, is a dystopian novel that is a cross between Hunger Games and 1984. Some of the symbols can include the pills that everyone has to take. This is control of the masses and can also represent the 'bitter pill' of conformity. Secondly, there are the artifacts that both Cassia and Xander have been left. Cassia received a poem from her Grandfather (Go Not Gentle by Dylan) which is urging rebellion against conformity. Xander receives a pair of cufflinks. These represent a time long lost; a time where such luxuries and attention to personal detail were still alive and well. It is a 'shining' reminder of what has been lost.
