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
Getting close to civilization unsettles Risa, but she also knows that they need help. Connor insists they don’t, and storms away from their argument. Risa notices Lev watching and thinks that this is a good time to test to see if Lev is going to take the chance to run. She menacingly tells Connor to come back and insults his intelligence. He grabs her wrist, and though Risa feels violated, his grip is also gentle. They establish that they could hurt each other, but Risa knows Connor won’t harm her. They step away and Lev points out that fighting won’t help. When Lev later steps away to relieve himself, Connor praises Risa’s plan to test Lev. This surprises Risa, but she realizes that Connor makes her feel safe.
In this exchange, Connor and Risa both show that they understand that in certain circumstances, anger and violence can be tools that they can use to gain valuable information. This begins to make the case that anger and violence aren’t exclusively bad, but Shusterman is very careful to show that trying to get information by using one’s anger is something that a person must do very carefully. Had Connor not seen what Risa was doing, for instance, they may have lost Lev and put themselves in more danger.
Themes
