Social Commentary On Unwind

“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” - Nelson Mandela. Much like the author of the book Unwind, Neal Shusterman, Nelson Mandela thinks that taking away people's rights is one of the worst things someone can do to another human being. The book Unwind tells a great exaggerated story about humans, in this case minors, losing their rights. The book is trying to shows the reader that taking away anyone’s rights will change the world drastically and will probably not change it in a good way. The book Unwind by Neal Shusterman is an example of social commentary because it presents a hyperbolized version of minors losing their rights, raises awareness to prevent parents having to decide everything his/her child …show more content…
The book starts off by introducing two characters, Connor and Risa. It explains their experience of realizing they are getting unwound and how they don’t have a choice in it. It says, ‘"Don't I have a choice in this?’ But when she looks behind her, the answer is clear. There are two guards waiting to make sure that she has no choice at all” (Shusterman, 24). First of all, Risa didn’t even have a choice to live with her parents or be a foster child because she was storked and was basically forced to be a foster child and not know her real parents. This quote also shows that Risa doesn’t have the right to live and is forced to die, just because she isn’t good enough at a certain skill, in her case, playing the piano. The author also talks about Connor finding out that he is being unwound. He writes, “The unwind order. It had been signed in old-fashioned triplicate. The white coppy was already gone--off with the authorities” (Shusterman, 6). This quote tells the reader that Connor's parents have already made the decision that he will be unwound, and haven’t even given him a chance to redeem himself by talking to him beforehand and maybe discussing it with him. If they told him they were thinking of unwinding him, he would’ve most likely improved his behavior and they wouldn’t have to unwind him. Lastly, just because Connor isn’t exactly the way his parents want him to be, he doesn’t …show more content…
In the beginning of the book, the author describes a dangerous experience of a unwound trying to flee from police. He writes, “It’s as Connor gets close that he sees the cop twenty yards away, raising his weapon, and firing” (Shusterman, 38). Here the author has put you in the perspective of a minor who is in danger, because his parents have chosen to unwind him. This makes the reader really angry at the kids parents due to them causing him to be in such danger, just because he isn’t exactly the way they want him to be. This quote is very effective since it shows, in great detail and word choice, the dangerous things a runaway unwound can experience. Further in the book, the author describes one of the worst experiences that could ever happen to anyone, in this case it is happening to Risa, is being raped. Neal Shusterman writes, “‘Get out!’ she says. She wishes she could sound more forceful in the moment, but he's caught her by surprise. ‘No need to be so harsh.’ Roland moves toward her in a slow, predatory stride. ‘We're all friends here, right? And since everyone's eating dinner, we've got some quality time to get to know each other’” (Shusterman, 148). This is one of the most effective parts in the book since it really puts the reader in an experience that he/she would never want to