Less Aggressive Behavior In Unwind By Neal Shusterman

Throughout the science-fiction novel, Unwind by Neal Shusterman, the main character, Connor, appears to be changing as his adventure continues. In the beginning, Connor appears to be a menace, that being the reason he received an unwind order. He first displays his violent personality when he brutally puts Lev, another unwind, into a choke hold. Lev describes Connor as an unstable maniac. However, later in the story, when Connor, Risa, and Lev are united, Connor begins to take a more passive approach to problems. He learns the importance of less aggressive behavior through mentorship from Risa. “No, says Risa, but if we’re clever about it instead of rushing into this blind, we’ll have a better chance. Her words or maybe just her intentionally

This starts a series of events that help Connor realize that aggressiveness and violence will not at all help him avoid being unwound. Connor’s big test comes when Roland, a much more violent and impulsive bully, tries to abuse Risa.“Connor! Stop him...Connor makes no move to tear him away. He just stands there on the threshold. His eyes still rage, but his hands…they just hang there, limply at his sides” (Shusterman 150-151). Connor realized that Roland wanted him to fight, because he knew he would win. However, Connor controlled his emotions, and calmly embarrassed Roland, causing him to leave. Even though Risa is mad at Connor for not saving her at first, she eventually realizes that Connor made the right move in staying away from violence. This shows that Connor has learned to keep his cool, and that violence and aggressive behavior, are not always the

At first, Lev was extremely mad about unwinding; he felt that in order to get his point across, he would have to take the matter to extremes. At the graveyard, Lev joined others who felt the same way, the clappers. “Someone has to pay for the unfairness of it all. Everybody has to pay. He’ll make them” (Shusterman 229). Earlier in the story, Lev never would have thought like that. However, after his experiences with the aftermath horrors of unwinding in his friend Cy, his opinions have changed. I felt that the reason this change occurred was because then, the unwinding had taken a personal toll on Lev. In the story, clappers are very similar to terrorists today. They set off explosions to show their beliefs. Lev and two others were sent to set off bandages disguised as bombs at a harvest camp, otherwise known as an unwinding shelter. Just when they decide to set the explosives off, (which happens to conveniently be just before Connors unwinding), Lev decides not to. This is for two reasons, number one, he sees that the damage has already been done, number two, there is a voice inside his head telling himself that killing him is not worth it. Instead, Lev bravely enters the devastation to save any kids stuck in the debris, this includes Risa. “But you’re different from those others, Lev. You’re a clapper who didn’t clap. I wanted to. If you wanted to,