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Chapter 21
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Unwind, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Inequality, Injustice, and the Law
Anger, Violence, and Radicalization
Activism, Compassion, and Atonement
Morality and Perspective
Summary
Analysis
For three weeks, Connor and Risa bounce between safe houses. They finally land at a huge warehouse near an airport with about 30 other kids. It’s freezing, with one bathroom with no lock, and all the kids are angry and scared. She reasons that this is why the Fatigues, the seven adults who run the place, carry guns. New kids arrive every day, and Connor and Risa keep an eye out for Lev. The other kids hope that the Akron AWOL—Connor, whose story of tranquilizing a cop has since turned into legend—will show up. Connor keeps his identity a secret. By the end of the first week, there are 43 kids with almost nothing to do, and tensions rise.
The buzz surrounding the legend of the Akron AWOL suggests that what these runaway Unwinds really need is someone they can rally behind so that they can channel their anger and frustration at the system. Connor’s unwillingness to step into that role, however, speaks to the fact that he’s still a fundamentally angry boy who isn’t ready to take on a leadership position. He won’t be able to make this shift until he discovers how to channel his anger into activism.
Themes
Risa asks one Fatigue why they’re doing this. The Fatigue insists that it’s an act of conscience, and saving kids is its own reward. Risa also understands that such a big-picture view means that the Fatigues miss the social cues that point to trouble, all thanks to Roland. Connor hasn’t been great either; he gets in fights. One morning, Risa approaches him to get him to check himself. Connor admits that he sits alone so much to keep himself out of trouble. Hearing all the voices makes him blow up.
It’s comforting to hear the Fatigues say that they don’t need a reward to feel compelled to do the right thing, as it indicates that they recognize the kids’ humanity and right to life even if they’re not paid to do so. However, Risa also observes that their outlook is fundamentally flawed, as it means that they don’t necessarily see the kids as individuals in need of guidance.
Themes
Risa sets Connor a mission: watch the other kids. She points out that the kids who eat first are Roland’s friends, and that Roland is nice to kids nobody likes until the other kids like that person—then he uses them. She says Roland is power hungry and smart, and Connor is his biggest threat since the other kids know he could take on Roland. Connor says he’ll gladly fight, but Risa tells him not to. It’s exactly what Roland wants—he likely wants to kill Connor.
Risa’s assessment of what Roland is doing shows that while it’s possible to use one’s anger for good, as Risa does when she observes this social structure and protects Connor in the process, it’s also possible to use it for evil too, which Roland is presumably doing as he turns everyone to his side.
Themes
