The Elite

Maxon is one of America’s love interests and an important secondary character in the novel. He is the crown prince of Illéa and an only child. Maxon is blond, handsome, muscular, and very charming. He has grown up sheltered and protected, in part because his parents feared he might be harmed by the rebels who want to overthrow the royal family. Before she met him, America thought Maxon had a bland personality based on his formal, polite behavior on the television show broadcast across the country. When she meets him, she finds that he is kind, thoughtful, and considerate towards others, not just toward the girls in the Selection but also to those of lower castes, including palace staff. He also has a quiet sense of humor.

Maxon wants to be a good ruler, fair and just, but he struggles to be treated with consideration by his father. King Clarkson is cold and controlling, and his refusal to take Maxon seriously is frustrating and hurtful to Maxon. In private, his physical abuse is deeply painful, but Maxon hides this abuse, even from his mother, because he does not want to cause trouble or damage the image of the king or the royal family. He feels a sense of duty to his country, his position, and his family that is connected to his care and consideration for others. When the rebels attack, Maxon is a calming influence for others, showing he has the potential to be a wise, steady, and just king.

Before he met America, Maxon had never kissed a girl. He sees the Selection as his only chance to find a woman he might love who could love him. Though America demonstrates many qualities at odds with the decorum expected of a queen, Maxon has been drawn to her from the first. He has been honest with her about his feelings but, as he also understands that America was heartbroken over someone else when she came to the palace, he has given her time to work out whether she could love Maxon. His character does not develop across the novel so much as become clearer to America.

Aspen is another important secondary character, America’s second love interest and first love. He is handsome, with black hair and green eyes, and as a palace guard, the injections he takes have made him strong and muscled. Aspen is loyal and feels responsible for supporting his family, which includes his widowed mother and six siblings, and he has always been nurturing and protective of America. Aspen is proud, and when he felt ashamed and frustrated that he had little to offer America, especially since he was born into a caste below hers, he broke up with her and advised her to apply for Selection to give herself a chance at a better future. Aspen immediately regretted this decision and, at the end of the first book, declared his intention to win America back.

Now that he is stationed at the palace as a guard, Aspen has been elevated to caste Two and feels he can offer America more than what he had to offer before. He is determined to remind her of what they shared and looks for ways to win her away from Maxon. His intentions are not to manipulate her but to restore the bond they had. He doesn’t have very much to offer America beyond support and assurances, but he gives her a gold button from his uniform to assure her of his love.

Marlee is a foil to America as another Elite, but she is also a warning about the dangers if an illicit relationship is discovered. Marlee and America established their friendship in the first book, and this continues to provide a source of comfort to America in the second novel, until Marlee’s discovery with Officer Woodwork plays out the danger that America faces in continuing to see Aspen. Marlee is kind and honest, and her warm, sunny nature offers a soothing balance to the tensions and jealousy that can arise among the Elite. After Marlee is disgraced, America no longer has an ally among the Elite, and the competition heightens. When they meet again, Marlee provides America with a valuable reflection on what life is like in the real world—even though Marlee is still technically in the palace—and she also gives America a glimpse into what married life is like.