“There isn’t a person alive who matches every element of the fantasy we wish for. Every person in a relationship has settled. What you choose to compromise on is up to you.”
The utopian future entails certain aspects such as Couples Rule and Rotation that restrict long-term relationships and stationary living respectively. This is to discourage deep romantic connections before the age of 35 and an attachment to a particular locale. Therefore, this renders romantic relationships especially for young people difficult to maintain and navigate. As such, the couples have to make great sacrifices to get their relationship to work more than a typical union. The burden of compromising in a normal relationship is already a heavy one considering the flaws of human beings. To reconcile the high expectations and reality in a society where loving is already hard, the couple has to be ready for the compromises.
“First love can break you. But it can also save you.”
This love story is Shakespearian since the two lovers have to fight the system to save their love which also ends tragically. For that reason, the narrative showcases the cost of their love but also its worth since it becomes all that matters. Those before them who challenged the system were exiled and this is the risk that the couple is willing to take. They are sent to space for an expedition for a trial run which transforms them following the tragic accident. They share their Romeo and Juliet moment where they have to forgo certain comforts for their union to work. Akin to a Shakespearian tragedy, they both observe a scenario where the other partner is dead. They eventually choose the same fate while in space because their love conquers all.
“If your first love ends badly, then your self-esteem and confidence, how you trust and love—all of these are affected in your future by the shadow of how you loved, or were loved, in the past.”
The whole structure of the utopian society is to encourage individualism among young people. This involves restricting them from forming strong relationships in order to focus on their vocations. The quotation highlights a fact that is true for most who have fallen in love before because the emotions are intense. Though a solution, the idea of preventing young love seems quite impossible since falling in love is not a choice. Thus, the protagonists are caught in the middle of all these as they seek to save their love despite the rules. The alternative scenarios where the couples are not together are played out demonstrating how their lives turn out. The shadow of their first love continues to dictate their reality which prompts their final tragic decision.
