Monument 14

This novel explores the theme of social hierarchies through male power dynamics. The group at the Greenway is a microcosm of high-school social dynamics. Jake and Brayden are at the top of the hierarchy, while Niko and Dean are at the bottom. A significant aspect of hierarchal dominance in the novel is physicality. First, handsome looks are important. Secondly, securing the attention of a sexually-desirable female is important to status. Jake and Brayden are better-looking and receive more attention from females than do Niko and Dean.

Dominant males enforce their positions through humiliation and violence. When Brayden sees Dean writing on his own, he says, “Jesus, Dean, are you a total reject” (80). He also calls Dean “Geraldine”—in this world, femininity in males is considered weakness. When Jake suspects Dean of spying on him and Astrid, his position is threatened, and he puts Dean back in his place with physical violence.

This social hierarchy does not remain static; rather, it is challenged over the course of the novel. When Niko is elected, he unseats Jake as the leader of the group. Dean also challenges what it means to be male. In this group, males should be leaders who assert themselves through action and aggression, but Dean subverts this ideal by taking on a caretaker role, which is typically feminine.