The Testing

The Seven Stages War is a speculative third World War. The novel heavily invests in discussing the damage such a war would cause to the planet. Discuss how this novel does or does not qualify as one contributing to the conversation about climate change and other environmental concerns.

Environmental inequality and injustice are growing topics of discussion. This involves, for example, the greater likelihood of people who live in poverty being housed in areas with contaminated air and water. Consider the mutated humans within the context of this discussion: What role do they serve in the bigger picture of the novel?

This novel can be read as a critique of the belief in “technofixes”: technological advancement that may potentially be developed in time to save us from the damage done to the planet. Does this novel subscribe more to that idea or to one of prevention and preservation? Use examples from the revitalization efforts and the Testing grounds to make your argument.

Cia’s brief view of Tosu City suggests that poverty and social inequality remain despite the much smaller national population. The rhetoric in the colonies is that everyone must share the burden of the scarcity, but there is clearly plenty to be had for the officials and University staff and students. Discuss the social and financial inequality hinted at in our glimpses of the larger culture; give specific examples from the text to support your assertions.

Discuss the use of water as a symbol/motif in the novel. The traditional meanings are complicated by the pollution and radiation. What might the novel be trying to say and why?

Food is another common literary symbol, though one that can have meanings ranging from culture to memory to power to consumption to relationships. Cia spends a lot of time handling, catching, finding, and preparing food for herself and others. Discuss food in the novel. What does Cia’s unique knowledge about plants say about her as a person in a food-producing and eating world? How do the other candidates experience food and what does it suggest about the ways the colonists live?

Surveillance and communication are in tension throughout much of the story. Cia becomes aware very early they are being watched and listened to. Yet communication between the colonies is strictly limited to word-of-mouth. Considering that the Commonwealth forbids independent travel between colonies, what purpose does the isolation and ignorance of the colonies serve for those in power? How does normalizing that isolation allow them to get away with more nefarious acts?

Cia deeply cares about Tomas. She spends a significant amount of time thinking about him, trying to figure out what he wants and needs, and solidifying her belief in his trustworthiness. Consider Tomas as a character—both in terms of his characterization in relation to Cia’s, and in terms of the role he serves for Cia and for the narrative. His very existence advances Cia’s development and the narrative itself. Consider and analyze that purpose and the way it is fulfilled by his behaviors and words.