Discussion Topic
Setting and Its Impact in Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Summary:
The setting of Neal Shusterman's Unwind is a dystopian United States, with events unfolding across various locations such as Arizona's Graveyard and Joplin. The story takes place in a near future where neurografting technology has made unwinding—a process of using every part of a donor's body—possible. The Graveyard is a pivotal setting where Connor emerges as a leader among AWOL Unwinds, particularly when he confronts Roland, symbolizing his acceptance of his leadership role.
What is the setting of Unwind by Neal Shusterman and how does it contribute to the story?
The place setting of the story is the United States. The novel moves all across the United States as the author explores individual plot lines for the various characters. For example, the Graveyard is in Arizona, and Lev and CyFi travel to Joplin.
The time setting is a bit more difficult. The reader is given a few specific dates at the beginning of a few chapters, but those dates reference events in the past. For example, there is an article at the beginning of one chapter that talks about a bunch of bodies being dug up from graves.
In 2003 the authorities agreed to exhume around 30 bodies from a cemetery used by maternity hospital number 6.
The main events of the book take place sometime in the future, but it is a near future. The best evidence that I can provide for a near future is when...
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the Admiral is talking about "neurografting." He explains that unwinding became a viable option once neurografting was made possible. Currently, only certain organs and tissues can be donated, but neurografting makes it possible to use every piece of a donor's body.
"I was right there in the room when they came up with the idea that a pregnancy could be terminated retroactively once a child reaches the age of reason," says the Admiral. "At first it was a joke — no one intended it to be taken seriously. But that same year the Nobel Prize went to a scientist who perfected neurografting — the technique that allows every part of a donor to be used in transplant."
Because neurografting is not current and available science, Unwind is taking place sometime in the future.
What is the most important scene or setting in the book Unwind?
This is a tough question. First, it is asking about two very different things. A setting will be where something is taking place, and a scene is likely a particular plot event. Second, the question is made difficult because the book has a lot of pivotal moments that occur in a lot of different places. Third, this question is ultimately an opinion question. The answer that I provide might not be the answer that every reader will provide.
I think that I can tie together a location and a scene that I believe are pivotal to the story. The setting location is the Graveyard. The Graveyard is where all of the AWOL Unwinds are hiding until they are 18. At that point, they can't legally be unwound anymore. I choose this location as the most important location because it is where Connor finally begins to see himself as the leader that other people see him as. At the Graveyard, Connor becomes the go to guy when something breaks and needs fixing. Other Unwinds naturally gravitate toward his strong presence, reliability, and relatability. At first, Connor isn't excited about this development; however, he eventually embraces it with a single action. For me, one of the most important parts of the novel is when he traps Roland in the crate. It's this moment that Connor fully commits to standing up to Roland. Through this single act, Connor chooses to become the leader that all of the other Unwinds see in him.