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
Lev’s plan was to get away as soon as they got to civilization, but he pretends to be like Connor and Risa longer than he originally planned. He would’ve thrown himself at the police car if their pictures had been in the paper but seeing nothing is confusing and Risa’s theory seems like a real possibility. He wants Connor and Risa punished, but he doesn’t want them killed. Lev is even more afraid of Connor and Risa after seeing Connor steal the storked baby, and he thinks they must be unwound. On the bus, Lev moves forward a seat. A boy listening to headphones sits next to him. Lev grabs the boy’s notebook and writes that he’s being held hostage, asking for help. The boy doesn’t look but snatches his notebook back and crumples the page with Lev’s note on it.
In the case of the owner of the notebook, his perspective is so narrow as to blind him to anyone else’s situation. In some ways, however, he’s also a reflection of Lev—though Lev is beginning to feel conflicted, he’s also so entrenched in his belief system that he’s unable to understand why Connor and Risa might be running. His support for the unwinding laws also suggests that he’s probably sympathetic toward storking as well, and likely sees Connor’s actions as especially egregious.
Themes
