UNWIND Unwound

U N W O U N D

Connor and Risa are sent to Happy Jack Harvest Camp. Describe what it is like, and explain why it is like this. P265-266

Every harvest camp is purposefully placed in very scenic areas. The grounds are all extremely well kept, much like a resort, and there are a lot of bright pastel colours, with as little red as possible. Happy Jack is situated in Arizona, with views of forests and red mountains. The boy's dormitory was painted light blue with green accents, and the girl's was painted lavender and pink. They hide the barbed wire hence which surrounds the perimeter of the camp with hedges, and everything is bright and colourful.

What is the exact percentage of the Unwind that you have to keep alive? Why is it not 100%, as Risa believes? P269

They have to keep 99.44%, because they have to keep in mind vestigial structures like the appendix, which are now entirely useless.

What do the unwinds call the place where unwinding occurs? P271

The Chop Shop. There's a red carpet leading up to it and the band plays on the roof as people walk the red carpet to their death. Fun.

Lev too, is at Happy Jack, but as a tithe. Why is this?  

Because it's part of his plan. Him, Blaine, and Mai are preparing to become clappers and blow up Happy Jack harvest camp.

On p278 Connor and Roland finally have the fight that's been brewing between them. What does each character realise during this?

Roland realises he isn't the killer he thought he was, and isn't capable of the things he thought he could be. Connor finds the answer to the question Hayden asked not long ago. Would you rather die, or be unwound? He realises that maybe death is a better alternative.

P284 - What group has Lev joined, who recruited him, and when will they follow out their plan?  

Cleaver -the helicopter pilot from the Graveyard who was beaten to death and taught Roland how to fly a helicopter- recruited all three of them, and they plan on blowing up Happy Jack by simply clapping their hands, and causing absolute chaos.

'We have no cause but chaos'- Cleaver

It was an expression of all the things they felt inside. It was the spirit, and the nature, and the manifestation of all they had become. They weren't just the messengers, they were the message.

Roland is called for unwinding on p286. Why is this?  

Even though Roland has only been there a few days, his blood type AB negative is rare and in very high demand, therefore they're unwinding him as soon as they possibly can.

Chapter 61 is arguably the most confronting chapter in the book. Here we have Roland's first person narrative of being unwound. Do you think this chapter is necessary?

I think it is yes, because up until this chapter the author has never gone into detail about how people are unwinded- do they get put on anaesthetic? Where do they begin? It's also something that all of the characters show interest in (well... curiosity, not interest) throughout the book. It also shows you what's in store for Connor in the next few hours.

Why do you think Shusterman chose to have Roland's experience detailed? Do his memories alter how you view him?  

Because Roland is a very controversial character. No one really likes him, no one really understands him. Adding snippets of Roland's memories did change the way I thought about him to an extent, and the origin story of his shark tattoo was kind of interesting. The memory of his mother comparing him to his dad, who I'm guessing isn't a very good person, and how his babysitter either killed or permanently disabled his little sister was sad. It makes you start to understand why he is the way he is a little bit more.

Why does Lev decide not to clap? P310

At first, he physically can't bring himself to do it, and then he sees that Connor is still alive and decided not to.