3A Independent Reading discussion

There is a lot of controversial thoughts that come to mind when people think of arranged marriages. Ivy is matched up with the president's son.  Because she is from the lower class side in her society you would think she would be honored that now the rest of her life is going to be pampered, but that is the last thing she wants. She was raised by a family that has bad thoughts about how things are ran. She even lost her mother because of the president wanting all the power to himself. Now emotionally attached to getting revenge to what is rightfully deserved, she is willing to do anything, even kill her future husband. From personal experience, you can have your mind set on something but when a boy gets in the picture, things can get complicated. Ivy walked into her marriage with a scheduled plan of how to kill him. But already on page 42, when she is trying to get to know him she feels flutters in her chest. Within the two days Bishop, her husband, has given her access to the library, because she likes to read, the courthouse for a job, and even offered to do the laundry one night, which is unheard of for a man to do. With him showing so much affection already it would be hard for any girl not to fall for him. And I think that's exactly what's going to happen, but Ivy just doesn’t fully know it. She thought to herself” I remember Bishop’s laugh, his crinkly nose, the warmth in my cheeks, and can’t help feeling I’ve done something wrong.”(pg. 66). I don’t think this book will change my thoughts on arranged marriage, but I do think it will keep me guessing about the plan and whether or not Ivy will go through with it.

Why is Ivy arranged marriage with this guy anyways if arranged marriages are usually from the parents, but obviously her parents don't like him either. I think that she was mostly focusing on what her father did to her family than what Bishop is as a person and when she got to know him, realized he is nothing like his father. I think it will be interesting if Ivy has to end up going somewhere with his father and in wondering if she will be so much in love by that point that she is distracted from it by Bishop, or if she will just see the presidents face and yell at him for why he has done to her mother.