Literary Devices In Unwinding

Unwind, a 2006 dystopian-fiction novel written by Neil Shusterman, explores the phenomenon of unwinding through the three teenage protagonists, Connor, Lev, and Risa. Unwinding is the process in which parents sign an order for their teenage child to be sent to harvest camps for 99.94% of their body to be donated for the transplantation needs of society. As Lev is about to fall victim to this process, he is allowed to abscond his past life, and the Pastor [Dan], whom he considers both family and a friend, appears to encourage it, leaving Lev profoundly confused. Shusterman has used a range of literary devices throughout Lev’s journey within the book, to convey how people are shaped by those around them, and thus change when their surroundings

The allusion to Humphrey Dunfee references the children's poem Humpty Dumpty and contrasts its original ending with the book's interpretation to convey the self-improvement process of Admiral Dunfee. The original poem demonstrates misuse of power, by showing the king's inability to take care of Humpty Dumpty when time was given, and ineffective actions being taken when faced with the consequences. The poem is introduced to highlight the resemblance between Humpty and Harlan, otherwise known as Humphrey. Therefore leading the audience to infer that the king would be Admiral Dunfee. The line ‘All the king's horses and all the king's men’ suggests that Humpty Dumpty was of high importance to the king, hence he used all his power—the king’s horses and men—to correct his mistake, though it was too late. Similarly to the poem, to Admiral Dunfee, Harlan is of high importance, and he misuses his power as caretaker to send his son to be unwound. The rumour that the Dunfees hunt down those who have received parts of Harlan helps feed the negative image Shusterman has created of Admiral Dunfee. The novel ends with those who have received parts of Harlan gathering together to put their son together in ‘the only meaningful way they can’. This demonstrates how the Dunfees self-understanding begins due to facing the consequences of their actions. The contrast between the traditional ending of the poem and the book’s interpretation helps convey the self-betterment process that Admiral Dunfee has undergone and how self-development and growth derive from facing the repercussions of one's