Under the Never Sky

Aria is the female protagonist and first narrator of the dual-point-of-view novel. Aria has hair “dark and shiny as a raven’s feathers” (27), thin eyebrows, and smooth skin. Upon first meeting, Perry is confused by her clear skin; though she seems to be his age, “with skin like that he wasn’t sure” (28). In their first meeting, Aria’s scent is not as pervasive as that of the other Dwellers to Perry but is still rank and decaying. This first impression hints at her part Outsider origin and the lurking issues within Pod societies that cause their citizens to reek of the dying. As Aria adapts to the Outside, her scent transforms into that of violets—a much livelier scent.

Aria begins the novel as a Reverie inhabitant conforming to the nature of all Dwellers. Conformity Versus Individuality is introduced through Aria’s disgust with Perry and other Outsiders because of their differences and her obsessive desire to remain identical to and unchanging like her fellow Dwellers. Aria hates her singing talent, which is her most unique quality in the Pods. It’s something she believes her mother genetically modified her to have and “usually kept her