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 is certain his heart will explode. Sneaking out of the bathroom was nerve-wracking and all the kids in the hallways are huge and intimidating. He’s never had to worry about high school before, since he knew he’d never get there. A kind kid points Lev in the direction of the office. Lev reasons that nobody will kill Connor and Risa at a school; they’ll just head to their unwinding. He thinks that being torn from his purpose was the scariest thing to happen to him, but he thinks it’s a lesson from God: kids who shirk destiny become lost. He explains his situation to the secretary, and minutes later, a nurse checks him over.
That Lev is thinking about the possibility that Connor and Risa might be in mortal danger shows that Lev is learning to be more compassionate and broaden his worldview thanks to the 24 hours he’s spent with them. This starts to show that it doesn’t take much to introduce someone to a new way of thinking, and that becoming aware of different perspectives can begin to make someone more compassionate toward people he or she previously didn’t care about.
Themes
Lev asks to call his parents. The nurse offers him her cellphone and leaves him alone. Lev dials Pastor Dan and begs for him to get his parents to call off the police. Pastor Dan says they never called the police; he convinced Lev’s parents that his kidnapping was God’s will. Desperately, Pastor Dan says that nobody else knows Lev is gone—they believe he’s been tithed, so they won’t ask questions. Lev insists he wants to be tithed, which makes Pastor Dan angry. He says that now, Lev can be anyone he wants to be. Lev feels betrayed by the man who told him that tithing was glorious. He feels alternately joyful and angry and hangs up. Police cars arrive, and Lev knows what he has to do. He slips out and pulls the fire alarm.
Once again, Lev’s confusion and anger are normal reactions—someone he trusted completely is now telling him that his purpose was a lie. However, it’s still telling that Lev chooses to pull the fire alarm and in doing so, help Connor and Risa—it shows that he still trusts Pastor Dan and his assessments, even if they make little sense to him right now.
Themes
