Scythe Symbolism

A world where death is a rare occurrence, and the only way to keep the population down is an elite group called Scythes. In the novel Scythe, written by Neal Shusterman, these elite members of society are given the power to kill whoever they want, whenever they want, and it's all for the betterment of their community. With this in mind, Rowan is taken in to train and become one of these elites. However, when he is taken in by a morally corrupt Scythe, Rowan is faced with a difficult decision; does he train to become a ruthless killer, or does he keep his conscience clean by killing no one at all? In Scythe, Neal Shusterman uses physical and cultural surroundings to shape the psychological traits of Rowan as he is trying to fight against a community …show more content…
The Scythedom is the community to which all Scythes belong to. They have their own rules, their own culture, and cannot be touched by the "Thunderhead" (the head of the community). When Rowan is brought into this community, he expects everyone to be good and follow the rules of the Scythedom. However, that is not the case. When the corruptness of the Scythedom first came to light, Rowan discovered "If it came out that the High Blade had an illegitimate daughter, it would destroy him. He'd be in serious violation" (pg 315). Scythes are not allowed to have families, especially children. If the Scythe community were to find out, it would turn the whole thing upside down. People would fight for power, and the already unstable foundations of the Scythedom would crumble beneath their feet. The corruptness of the Scythedom can be compared to the community in which Equality lived in, in the novel Anthem, written by Ayn Rand. When Equality brought the light before the council, they not only did not want to accept it, they were afraid of it. When Equality brought the light to the council, they decreed "Many men in the Homes of the Scholars have had strange new ideas in the past, but when the majority of their brother Scholars voted against them, they abandoned their ideas, as all men must" (pg 73). The council knew neglecting the light was wrong, they knew it would better the society, but they looked beyond that, and denied Equality a chance to give the light. In both novels, the higher council does not do things for the betterment of others. This creates the idea of dishonesty and lack of trust, which ultimately leads to the corruptness in each community. There is no doubt that these factors contributed to the immorality that the characters faced within