SUMMARY
Thanks to the Thunderhead, we live in a perfect world. There is no pain, age, disease, or even death. The incorruptible presence controls everything, including the weather, balancing our emotions, and the environment around us. There are only two things that it won’t control: birth and death.
Citra Terranova has recently been inducted into the scythedom, the order that controls death. She conducts her work personally and morally, but there are other scythes that have created a “new order,” that have different ideas. Citra and her friend Rowan have opposite ideas of how to make a change. Citra, or Scythe Anastasia, in changing the scythedom from the inside out, persuading and enlightening people to the seriousness of permanent death. Rowan, or Scythe Lucifer, isn’t welcome as a scythe so he tracks down and kills corrupt scythes. When attacks on Scythe Anastasia's life become a concern, they both realize that these attacks are only foreshadowing something much more sinister from a much more dangerous scythe.
Scythe Goddard, the leader and Founder of the new order, is dead. That’s what we were told. However, when the High Blade resigns to become a Supreme Blade, Goddard walks onto the scene and is nominated for the position. Rowan is captured by Scythe Goddard and taken to the scythe capital, Endura, where Citra will be arguing her position on why Scythe Goddard should not be High Blade. Outraged by his loss, Goddard sinks Endura, killing everyone there, including the Supreme Blades and all the scythes there. Citra and Rowan are saved by escaping to a water-tight steel safe where they sink to the bottom of the sea to be discovered later.
Consequences Are Necessary:
In a world where there is no pain, consequences are far less impactful. Even death isn't a punishment seeing as it is inflicted randomly. The Thunderhead learns towards the end of the book that the consequences it had been enforcing were not creating lasting changes. Humans revert to the easy way if the hard way isn't scary. The only consequence that was ever effective was Scythe Goddard's, which taught the wrong lesson.
Death Is A Perfect Act:
This is the reason that the Thunderhead gives for not controlling death. A major conflict in the book is who should have the power to kill others. No one deserves to, but who should have that ability? The purpose for death is to control population, but Citra's way of gleaning will cause overpopulation. Goddard's way, while generally seen as immoral, will one day be the only way to solve overpopulation. So which way is perfect?
This is the reason that the Thunderhead gives for not controlling death. A major conflict in the book is who should have the power to kill others. No one deserves to, but who should have that ability? The purpose for death is to control population, but Citra's way of gleaning will cause overpopulation. Goddard's way, while generally seen as immoral, will one day be the only way to solve overpopulation. So which way is perfect?
Immortality Is Destructive To Human Nature:
Because of the removal of the aging process and the perfection of government, no one needs jobs or a formal education. There is no purpose in life. You can have hobbies but you don't need to achieve anything and every job can be accomplished by the Thunderhead. The only thing it can't do is control death, which is where all of the flaws occur and where all purpose lies.
Because of the removal of the aging process and the perfection of government, no one needs jobs or a formal education. There is no purpose in life. You can have hobbies but you don't need to achieve anything and every job can be accomplished by the Thunderhead. The only thing it can't do is control death, which is where all of the flaws occur and where all purpose lies.
"I have come to realize that there are only two perfect acts. THey are the two most important acts known to me but i forbid myself to perform them. They are the creation of life... and life's taking."
-The Thunderhead
I’m not sure what it really means to be a “perfect act” but I agree with this statement. Life and death such powerful occurences. To give something life is to give it identity and a purpose. To take that away is a grievous sin. Only nature can’t be blamed or punished. Why would we ever take that responsibility on us? They just thought that they were taking away the pain.
Argument
The idea of a utopian society is overrated and destructive. While it frees us from hunger and poverty, it also releases us from our nature as humans and strips us of purpose.
The idea of a utopian society is overrated and destructive. While it frees us from hunger and poverty, it also releases us from our nature as humans and strips us of purpose.
The strongest drive in human nature is to find companionship and the second is to survive. In Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman, these things are guaranteed in the most personal and perfect way that they can be. However, the battle for these things is what makes us human. If days aren’t full of working to achieve something, they are filled with nothings and the purpose of life is lost. The commentary made by the omnipresent Thunderhead shows valuable insight to the importance of everything humans wish we could be rid of. This utopian world erases purpose from the lives of the people in it by removing religion, work, and pain.
“Faith is an unfortunate casualty of immortality," said the Thunderhead. “Our world has become both uninspired and untortured” (241). To inspire is to fill someone with the desire to do something. There is no desire to serve, tell the truth, or “love one another” because God is not watching you. In fact, there is no need to serve at all because everyone is cared for. Studies show that those with religious beliefs live longer and are overall happier people. The only religious group in the book are the Tonists. They are hopeful, ambitious, and live their days serving and converting others. Not only do religious views help on a personal level, it brings people together to form a like-minded group. One of man’s needs is companionship and this practice makes it all the more fulfilling.
Many people dislike their jobs and wish they could live their days in leisure. This lifestyle would surely bring happiness and more time for what we actually like to do. However, we don’t work solely for the money. While some people mindlessly float through their work days, there are many who are engaged and immersed in their work. These people gain satisfaction from the social interactions, achievement, and passion. Without projects and things that need to get done, these people would feel aimless. Even those without that drive feel unproductive and wasteful without something to do. The Thunderhead provided opportunity for work even though every job is carried out by it, so all of the jobs are decorations to people’s already pointless lives.
Living without startling consequences is also detrimental to the quality of one’s life. Death and pain can be consequences to our unsafe or immoral decisions, whether physical or mental. Witnessing someone die or being close to death are both sobering experiences that can alter your perception of the world. The Thunderhead knew this when it was told to bring people back to life. It said, “One might think that being rendered deadish might give a person increased wisdom and perspective on their lives... In the end, it is as their deaths” (87). Humans learn by mistakes, but mistakes are actions with negative consequences, and this society has none. Therefore, no one ever truly learns the significance in life, much less their purpose. The Tonists have allowed themselves to feel pain so they have learned from choices that have hurt them. They are the closest to humanity because they have given themselves purpose and learned from what
Although many people dream of a perfect world where all of our problems have perfect solutions, achieving it would cause a greater loss than gain. Our pains and sufferings are what make us human and once we learn the significance of it, our lives gain more meaning. We cannot be happy without sadness, and we cannot have purpose without a destination and goal in life. Religion sends hope and joy, work lets us achieve, and death teaches us about life. Before losing our minds in a world without flaw, we should consider what those flaws give us: purpose.
“Faith is an unfortunate casualty of immortality," said the Thunderhead. “Our world has become both uninspired and untortured” (241). To inspire is to fill someone with the desire to do something. There is no desire to serve, tell the truth, or “love one another” because God is not watching you. In fact, there is no need to serve at all because everyone is cared for. Studies show that those with religious beliefs live longer and are overall happier people. The only religious group in the book are the Tonists. They are hopeful, ambitious, and live their days serving and converting others. Not only do religious views help on a personal level, it brings people together to form a like-minded group. One of man’s needs is companionship and this practice makes it all the more fulfilling.
Many people dislike their jobs and wish they could live their days in leisure. This lifestyle would surely bring happiness and more time for what we actually like to do. However, we don’t work solely for the money. While some people mindlessly float through their work days, there are many who are engaged and immersed in their work. These people gain satisfaction from the social interactions, achievement, and passion. Without projects and things that need to get done, these people would feel aimless. Even those without that drive feel unproductive and wasteful without something to do. The Thunderhead provided opportunity for work even though every job is carried out by it, so all of the jobs are decorations to people’s already pointless lives.
Living without startling consequences is also detrimental to the quality of one’s life. Death and pain can be consequences to our unsafe or immoral decisions, whether physical or mental. Witnessing someone die or being close to death are both sobering experiences that can alter your perception of the world. The Thunderhead knew this when it was told to bring people back to life. It said, “One might think that being rendered deadish might give a person increased wisdom and perspective on their lives... In the end, it is as their deaths” (87). Humans learn by mistakes, but mistakes are actions with negative consequences, and this society has none. Therefore, no one ever truly learns the significance in life, much less their purpose. The Tonists have allowed themselves to feel pain so they have learned from choices that have hurt them. They are the closest to humanity because they have given themselves purpose and learned from what
Although many people dream of a perfect world where all of our problems have perfect solutions, achieving it would cause a greater loss than gain. Our pains and sufferings are what make us human and once we learn the significance of it, our lives gain more meaning. We cannot be happy without sadness, and we cannot have purpose without a destination and goal in life. Religion sends hope and joy, work lets us achieve, and death teaches us about life. Before losing our minds in a world without flaw, we should consider what those flaws give us: purpose.