The Elite

The diary of Gregory Illéa represents the hidden truth about the founder of Illéa and the history of the country that only a few people know completely. The diary first appears as a representation of Maxon’s affection for and trust in America, as he gives her the diary to read while they are researching Halloween. To Maxon, the diary is no more than a curiosity, something he’s been told must be kept secret. He doesn’t realize yet that this diary is also his heritage and indication of the problems he, as the future king, has the responsibility to correct.

America returns to the diary at several points in the narrative, first looking for distraction, then for clarity as certain elements about the power structure of Illéa become less and less compatible for her. The diary reveals to her the motivations Gregory Illéa had for restructuring the country the way he did, on a premise that America finds unjust and oppressive, and thus the diary becomes symbolic of everything she finds wrong with Illéan society. This is reinforced when it is revealed, after America’s proposal on the Report to abolish castes, that King Clarkson understands and the contents of the diary and has controlled access to it, understanding that the rebels want Gregory’s diaries because of the truths they reveal.

The penny jar retains its symbolic value from the first book as a memory of what America shared with Aspen, but in this book, it not only continues to serve as a reminder of their connection but also more broadly represents America’s nostalgia for her past. Once the repository for the pennies that Aspen gave her, and which America brought to the palace as a reminder and link to that memory of being loved, the jar is also a tie to the affections of her childhood that endured even through struggle.

When the jar was full of pennies, it signified the hopes and dreams that America had for her future, which at the time included Aspen. Now empty of all but a single penny, the jar now represents America’s inability to see what her new future will hold, indicating the uncertainty that makes her unable to entertain any hopes, dreams, or plans around a new future. It’s a placeholder, waiting while she tries to decide what she truly wants and prepare herself for the loss that will attend any choice she does make.

The jar also facilitates America’s connection to Aspen as he uses it to leave America notes arranging their secret meetings, necessary because this relationship is illicit and must be concealed. The jar thus represents the things about herself that America still hasn’t revealed to Maxon, which limits and contains the progression of their relationship.