Scythe
By Neal Shusterman
Outline
“Thou shalt kill.”
Scythe is a utopian novel exploring the consequences of a perfect
world. In this world Neal Shusterman explores the tropes of futuristic worlds,
such as the control of artificial intelligence which is often considered
negative in most modern films and literature. However, Neal decided to do the
opposite when he created his “Thunderhead.” The “Thunderhead,” in simple terms,
is a completely evolved version of the cloud. “it’s the culmination of all human knowledge, without any human
hubris. It is wise, just, and completely incorruptible. It is the best thing
we’ve ever created.” Meaning that the problem with the world of Scythe is
not the Thunderhead; it’s humans—and the big question is, once we’ve achieved a
perfect world, where is there to go? Once you reach the pinnacle, there’s
nowhere to go but down. The main characters, Citra and Rowan, are fighting to
prevent that from happening and slowly come to realize the drawbacks that come
with ideal perfection.
“Humanity has created the
Thunderhead, a perfect artificial intelligence that has eradicated
war, poverty, crime, and even death. The only societal concern is
overpopulation, dealt with by an order of professional reapers known as
scythes, who randomly select people to be “gleaned.” The two protagonists,
Citra and Rowan, are teens recently apprenticed to a scythe, learning the art
of the kill.”
In Scythe Neal Shusterman created characters (as he personally
compared them to) similar to Jedi. They are highly moral, highly ethical, and
enlightened. Instead of preserving life, like Jedi, their purpose is to
compassionately end life. With the creation of Citra and Rowan, Neal wanted
them to explore these attributes and their “fight” against human contamination
and corruption.
Biography
Neal Shusterman does it all.
He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. The
year after he graduated from UCI he had already received his first book deal
and was hired to write a movie script. He is acknowledged as a successful
novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. His books have received many awards from organizations such
as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association,
as well as bundle of state and local awards across the country. Neal’s talents
range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE
Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and
lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently played in
several major cities. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having
developed three successful “How to Host a Mystery” game for teens, as well as
seven “How to Host a Murder” games.
Rationale
I came
across this book while trying to find something for my younger sister to read
(she isn’t an avid reader like me and often struggles to find material she is
interested in). At first I thought it was just another dystopian novel but I
was more than pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn’t, let alone a utopian
one. What I love about this book is its change in pace. Technology isn’t seen
as threat and instead actually provides the support and stability of man kind. Instead
of seeing characters fight to build a perfect world they are fighting to
maintain it.
Teaching Ideas
· If would be great to use
this book in a unit, to compare and contrast with it’s dystopian counter parts.
· Both Citra and Rowan keep
journals, as do all the scythes, students could easily do the same. Whether
they be journals concerning their readings or their daily lives.
· Both Citra and Rowan
express their difficulty in the process of “choosing”. Meaning who to kill and
how to kill them. Throughout the book weapons are banned and there are
arguments over whether something is or isn’t humane. As we reach these
difficult concepts it would be interesting to discuss them in class.
· Students could also pick
out their own Scythe names and robe colors (for fun)
· I would like to do a class
exercise where a variety of “developed characters” will be drawn up on the
board. Including a variety of people at different points of their life,
different interests, ages, heights, and so on and so forth. The students will
then have to decide who lives and who dies. I do not expect this activity to be
concluded but rather them just learning through the experience.
Obstacles
There is violence in this book. It is however, handed tastefully.
“I don’t like gratuitous violence, so when I
write something that’s violent, I am very mindful of it and make sure that it’s
there for a very specific reason. I use it sparingly, so that when it does
arise, it’s to greater effect. The goal is to make readers think. I approach my
novels in a philosophical way. What questions about the nature of humanity, and
the nature of the universe, am I asking? And how can I ask those questions in a
way that will take people’s breath away?”
References
Comments
Post a Comment