Shreeya Sharma Week #16: Memory in Dystopia
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Some time ago, I read the Arc of a Scythe book series by Neal Shusterman, a dystopian sci-fi trilogy in a future when death and disease have become virtually eradicated. The world is basically governed by a sentient artificial intelligence program known as The Thunderhead. People can choose to “turn a corner,” or make themselves physically younger when their body becomes old, and rather than die in the traditional sense, the residents of this new world are subject to being “gleaned” by an elite group of people called scythes.
Because of these drastic changes in the world’s society, most people look back at our time, the Age of Mortality, with a vastly different outlook than we see it. In fact, many people spend their time doing basically nothing, feeling almost none of the same emotions that we do. Shusterman’s approach to describing life in such a world, where we don’t have to constantly worry about our deaths or our loved ones’ deaths, is extremely unique; most authors don’t touch upon the emotional and cultural complexities of these things.
In a sense, it can be said that emotions arise from the impermanence of our lives; because we know our time is limited, we feel so strongly about the world and about our families. On the other hand, Shusterman’s Earth lacks the same impermanence, resulting in general apathy toward how someone’s life will progress and the general well-being of the population—a stark contrast to current efforts to extend the average life expectancy for humanity and remain alive for as long as possible in order to make even more progress. In Shusterman's world, it’s truly scythes, cruel or kind, who understand what mortal life is like, as they directly hold the power to end someone’s life for good; no one else remembers what it’s like to feel mortal or even what a “mortal” emotion feels like.
Overall, I remember enjoying how distinctive this trilogy’s plot was, as I couldn’t imagine how I would live in such a world nor how the author could create a believable portrayal of this future. It’s almost a heartless commentary on how in today’s world we care so much about productivity, doing something important with our lives, and working toward extending our lifespans, whereas in this future dystopia, everyone lives the same long, boring life with little care for or memory of the past. This series is definitely an interesting read and provides, in my opinion, a much-needed commentary on the present.
Hey Shreeya,
ReplyDeleteI always love reading your blogs because no matter the topic I love how you relate it to books. As a book lover myself it's so fun to see your thoughts and analysis of certain books that I either enjoyed or didn't. I have not read this particular book, but I've heard a lot of things about it especially a few years ago when dystopia was the "it genre." I loved your concept of using the book to talk about the absence of memory and everything that comes with being human and remembering (a fundamental part of mortality in my opinion). I'm not a frequent dystopian reader, but I love how when they're done well they reveal something really important about our world that is obscure enough to still be escapism while at the same time urging people to think.
Hi Shreeya! I found your blog about a dystopian world to be very fascinating because we do not typically think about these things in real life. It is very interesting how you mention that emotions arise from the impermanence of the world. However, if the world was permanent, I believe that people would still feel strongly about certain things. This is because the permanence of the world does not determine how many events a human can participate in during their life. For example, even in a permanent world, a person may get injured and be unable to further their goals. Although they will remain alive for the full duration of the world, they may be physically or mentally disabled.
ReplyDeleteIt is very odd to think about ideas like this because they often challenge our knowledge of how humans interact with each other. Although I have not studied psychology, I find it to be a very captivating field because of its relevance to our daily life. I believe that reading dystopian novels like the one you mentioned causes us to think more about our world, and possibly begin to appreciate more elements of life. If we do not take our life for granted, we might be able to express more gratitude and be happier.