Nola Trusty Language Arts Period 7 March 13 The whirring of drones, microphones hidden in every nook, listening intently to find any and all whispers of rebellion. Within the confines of the towering walls, the oppressive echo of surveillance is omnipresent. “The Silence” by James DeVita doesn’t just tell a story, but it immerses you in the heart of resistance. Marena is a reflection of her late mother. This book unravels the journey of a girl who wants to stand tall against tyranny. In the end, she escapes to freedom. There are many lessons in this book about Marena’s bravery, but most importantly, you learn that the size of rebellion doesn’t dictate its impact. With each thing Marena does to stand up, no matter how small, it all helps …show more content…
chip, Marena changes her life and others for the better. One time that Marena shows this is when she recites the State pledge. During class with Mrs. Crowley, the fart teacher, they all have to put a hand over their heart and recite the pledge. On page eleven it states, “They were required to hold their right hands over their hearts, but as soon as Miss Goeff turned her face to the state flag, Marena switched them.” It continues on to say, “A single musical note chimed out of the intercom. Marena moved her lips instead of singing the state anthem.” Doing the pledge wrong is something that people wouldn’t notice if they were looking at the flag. Although nobody can see this act of resistance, it still proves that they aren’t fully in charge. Everyone still has free will because there is no way they can fully take away your life. You still have your thoughts and your words, and that’s all you need. Another place in this book where Marena makes a big impact with small and nonviolent resistance is when she scatters tissue paper roses …show more content…
It made all the Stofs and ZT’s wonder who was the one behind it. It also made them worry about what would come, and if it was a huge resistance party. This proves that her one small act of rebellion really did change something. Near the end of the book, Marena shows one more major form of rebellion. On page four hundred twenty-two, Marena and her father are frantically trying to get a tracking device out of their chest. It says, “Then suddenly the knife cut deep, slicing into her skin. She slammed her head into the snow, trying not to scream, but a muffled sound burst from her.” It goes on to say, “A wave of nausea filled Marena as she felt the thin metal chip slide out from beneath her skin.” Marena steps up her rebellion game by taking a cold knife to the chest to get a tracking device from above her collarbone. She not only does this to save her and the people with her now, but for the future people of the state. The people who snuck her in will realize her bravery and they will hopefully go back and help others do the same. Marena not only leads with her heart, but she leads by example. She changed so much through the book. At first she was nervous to sneak outside, but by the