74 pages • 2 hours read
Lisa McMannThe Unwanteds
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
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BetaThemes
Duality
Many of the characters in the novel have a natural counterpoint. Alex has Aaron, Mr. Today has High Priest Justine, and Samheed and Lani have their fathers. The narrative focuses on the friction between these two sides, part of a wider animosity between Artimé and Quill. These conflicts and these dualities drive the narrative forward, feeding into the thematic and ideological battles which are explored throughout the text.
Aaron and Alex are the clearest examples of this theme of duality. Alex is the best possible product of Artimé, and Aaron is the best possible product of Quill. The bond shared between twins is more powerful than the bond shared by most family members, and Alex believes it means that Aaron is never truly lost to him. He eventually learns the truth, however, that his brother is far more cynical and ambitious than he ever imagined. But while Aaron is the embodiment of Quill’s relentless social programming, he cannot help but share traits with Alex. Aaron has the nascent skills of an artist, though raw and unshaped. He can lie and cheat, as well as use magic, because he has a powerful imagination. This makes him Alex’s equal in many ways, though their common traits are expressed differently.
The duality of twins’ personalities and experiences ties into the conflict between Artimé and Quill. The brothers’ shared bond becomes a battleground for ideologies—just as the relationship between Mr. Today and his twin sister Justine does. The adults twins possess unshakeable convictions and have huge visions an ideal world, thus becoming embodiments of their respective towns’ philosophies. As different as Mr. Today and Justine are as people, and as different as their worlds seem to be, they are built on a shared foundation. This fundamental duality ensures that the conflict between the two is waged in a common language but without a firm resolution.
Authoritarianism
The novel begins in Quill, a desolate town in which one woman controls everything. High Priest Justine runs an authoritarian system where those considered unworthy or unnecessary are purged from the community on a yearly basis. These people, exclusively creative types, are supposedly sent to their deaths to ensure the remaining people of Quill understand they must suppress their emotions and creative instincts. This level of authoritarian control paints Quill as a dystopian society that should not be idealized.
The level of condemnation levelled at Quill is made even more apparent by its juxtaposition with Artimé. When Alex first arrives in Artimé, he is shocked by all the colors and energy around him. Quill is a drab, forsaken world in which nothing works, and everyone is miserably dull. The people of Artimé, however, are laughing, joking, and expressing themselves in a carefree manner. Alex (and, by extension, the readers) is shocked at the contrast. The Unwanteds’ arrival shows what is possible outside of Quill’s restrictive world, and the quick manner in which the children adapt to their new world suggests that the authoritarian dogma does not leave permanent scars.
Added to the restriction of expression and the annual Purges, Quill’s infrastructure is a damning indictment of the authoritarian state. Quill is fundamentally unfair and doomed to fail. The nature of its infrastructure is a symptom of the rotting ideals at the heart of the authoritarian state. Food and water are in short supply. The Quillitary (a portmanteau of Quill and military) takes vastly more water than the civilians, but its resources are no better. All the military vehicles are broken down and almost beyond the point of repair. The only motivation anyone has is to impress the High Priest. Aaron develops a new, more efficient farming system that produces better-quality food. But, it is only intended for the upper echelons of society.
Creativity
If authoritarianism is the dominant theme of Quill, creativity and freedom of expression are the dominant themes of Artimé. As soon as the Unwanteds arrive in Artimé, they are exposed to a world where they are encouraged to be creative and pursue their ideas and emotions. Without the constant threat of the Purge hanging over them, the residents can fully express themselves. They can paint, write, draw, sing, and declare their love for one another.
The nature of magic in Artimé reflects this need for creativity. Spells are not simply learned from books or through practice. Rather, the students are encouraged to experiment and develop new spells. Alex creates new spells and teaches them to his peers. This creativity becomes an essential part of the characters’ development. While the people of Quill are discouraged from innovative thought, Artiméans are free to try out whatever ideas they can pluck out of the air. These do not always work, but even failure is encouraged. The creative process is part of the very fabric of Artimé. The same is true for Mr. Today’s approach to running the state; not everything he tries succeeds, but he attempts to offer freedom and creativity as best he can.
This freedom of creativity can have adverse effects. Most notably, the lack of strict control allows Will and Samheed to plot against the people of Artimé unimpeded. They seek revenge against Aaron, who informed on them and ruined their chances of a successful career in the Quillitary. Mr. Today does nothing to dissuade them from this disillusion. Even if it threatens everything he has created, he will not hinder their creative expression. This shows that a belief in freedom in all forms is something Mr. Today refuses to compromise.
