The 100

These chapters highlight the conflicts that arise as people struggle to process The Impact of External Change on Internal Growth. Having been deprived of power and agency all her life, Octavia has learned that the only way to exert any form of power over her own existence is to steal what she needs: in this case, medicine to help her sleep on the colony. Because there were never consequences for this, Octavia believes that she can do the same on Earth, not fully appreciating that her way of exercising agency is now depriving others of life-saving supplies. Although Octavia’s situation has radically changed from the oppressive circumstances in which she was forced to live, she has not yet fully adjusted her behavior to match her new surroundings. Her determination to take the medication for herself also reflects the intensely harmful effects of addiction. 

Notably, Octavia is not the only one who is affected by the outrage surrounding the theft of the medication. Her actions also highlight the fact that Bellamy’s view of his sister is colored by his other experiences. After the egregious abuse that his mother inflicted on Octavia, Bellamy is deeply overprotective of Octavia because he wants to spare her any further suffering. For this reason, he tends to condone her more questionable actions, making excuses for her because he refuses to believe that his traumatized sister could be responsible for harming anyone, even indirectly. Thus, his bitterly contemplative moment in the rain marks a distinct shift in his worldview. When he learns that Octavia did indeed take the medicine, he realizes that he can no longer view Octavia as a completely innocent victim of circumstances. Although she has suffered greatly from personal and systemic injustices, she has also engaged in unethical actions by refusing to consider the dire consequences of her theft, which has deprived Clarke’s friend of life-saving care. This moment highlights Octavia’s youth and relative inexperience, implying by extension that the entire group of youths will now have to grow up very quickly and meet their circumstances with greater maturity and consideration.

In many ways, Clarke has taken it upon herself to be the “adult” in the life-or-death struggles that the kids now face on Earth. Her caretaking habits suggest that she feels the weight of the responsibility that has been foisted upon her. Likewise, her decision to search for medicinal plants despite her ignorance of botany reveals her determination to overcome an impossible situation for the sake of herself and the others. Her efforts to maintain a more mature outlook can also be seen when Wells rescues her from falling into the underground structure. When she accepts Wells’s help, her demeanor highlights the inner growth she has already experienced during her brief time on Earth. She still grieves for the loss of her parents, but now that she is faced with trying to keep people alive, she realizes that hardships force people to make difficult decisions for the sake of survival. She therefore acknowledges the complexities that Wells was navigating on the colony, and she begins to forgive him for his indirect role in her parents’ arrests and executions. She finally understands that he made the best decision he could and did not intend to hurt anyone. Thus, in these chapters, Clarke embodies The Impact of External Change on Internal Growth.

Despite such personal breakthroughs, the teens continue to struggle when it comes to rebuilding some semblance of a working society. The mob in Chapter 19 therefore illustrates The Struggle Between Oppression and Freedom. In this scene, Wells and Graham represent two markedly different forms of leadership. Although Wells’s actions against Octavia are fueled by his anger on Clarke’s behalf and his desire to be seen as a leader, he jumps into action because Octavia might actually be guilty. Whereas Wells takes charge to protect those he cares about, Graham asserts authority merely for the sake of imposing his own will on the others. Graham is interested in power for its own sake, seeing himself as entitled to the role because his former life on the colony denied him any power at all. He is also harsher than Wells, demonstrating his willingness to dole out punishment. Notably, Wells’s refusal to yield to Graham exposes the latter as a bully who only acts tough when no one else opposes him. With these volatile dynamics in play, the confrontation shows that oppressors are often bullies who can only maintain their power if others consent to give it to them.