27/03/19, Wednesday
(Southwest Arizona) serves as an ideal graveyard for airplanes. It has a dry, clear and virtually smog-free climate that helps minimize corrosion. It has an alkaline soil so firm that airplanes can be towed and parked on the surface without sinking… An airplane graveyard is not just a fence around airplane carcasses and piles of scrap metal. Rather, many millions of dollars' worth of surplus parts are salvaged to keep active aircraft flying…
CONNECTIONS:
The Graveyard is a refuge where unwinds hide until they turn 18. They are, however, expected to work for free. In many ways, this is like slavery. In fact, one of the characters says: "unwinding makes slavery look good. It's always the lesser of two evils."
Lawlessness - the way the society in the Graveyard breaks down through the relationships being torn apart is similar to William Golding's ideas in 'Lord of the Flies'. Can you think of any other stories, contemporary areas, or historical times, where this sort of lawlessness exists?
Blood, Sweat and T-shirts: many practices these days are viewed as socially acceptable, even though we may have an awareness of the cost to another. The following documentary follows four British young adults as they embark on a journey working in the conditions that factory workers have to work under in order to make mass-produced clothing.
Which job in the graveyard does Risa get assigned to? How does this come about? P201 The job Risa got assigned is a dishwasher. She saved a boy and she got assigned to being a medic.
Why doesn't Connor volunteer for "work"? P205 Because he thinks that the admiral is using them for his own earnings. "This place isn't a refuge, it's a slave market. Why doesn't anyone see that?"
How does Roland unsettle Connor? P206-207 He told Connor that the admiral has a different plan for the unwind, he also told him that he is being trained how to fly.
P208-209 detail Lev's arrival, and Connor's reaction. Make sure you fill in your character profiles for both characters. Lev's arrival was the same as Connor's arrival, he arrived with a big group of unwinds. They were in a FedEx jet. Connor's reaction was relieved but also angered.
P214-215 Connor learns the truth about the Admiral here. How does the Admiral gain Connor's trust? The admiral gained Connor's trust by telling him his story. He also gave him true and reasonable answers. He told Connor that the teeth that he has are dentures which were used when unwinding wasn't an option.
What, according to the Admiral, is it that Connor is becoming famous for in the Graveyard?p212 Connor is becoming famous for his skills of repairing broken things and also his status of being impulsive and getting into fights.
What happens to the Goldens?p217 Someone killed by the goldens by suffocating them in a container with no air-holes.
How does Roland begin to assert his power in the Graveyard? (you'll need to look throughout the section) He shares his theories about the admiral to the other kids. He told them how the teeth of the admiral and the other parts of his body are not his, he managed to make the other kids believe that they're next. This is not true, I don't know if Roland thinks it's true.
P222-226 give us an insight into how the Unwinding Bill was passed into law. Summarise what happened, then explain whether or not you think it is plausible. It started with the heartland war, a war between pro-life and pro-choice but as the admiral says there is another side which is the remains of the American Military, who were supposed to stop the two sides from destroying each other. The bill of life started as a joke, no one really took it sincerely, but then a scientist won a Nobel prize perfected neurografting- the technique that allows every part of a donor to be used in a transplant. As the war got worst both sides tried to find a solution. The American military introduced the idea of unwinding hoping that the idea would shock both sides into seeing a reason, but neither side saw a problem in the idea, agreeing with the idea of unwinding.
- The Admiral was there when the Bill of Life was signed - do you think this detracts from the believability of the commonplace nature of Unwinding? In your opinion, do you think the book should have a few more generations between those who signed the Bill, and the present state in the novel? If the Admiral was there I think it happened recently than I thought, as for the younger generations they think that unwinding is normal. I think it would be interesting to see the perspective of a teen when the bill of life was passed because they've spent their lives with no dangers but suddenly learning that you are getting unwound.
- What job does Lev volunteer to do? P236 Lev volunteered to work in an oil pipeline with Mai and Blaine until they're 18.
- Which part of Harlan Dunfree does Emby have? P240 The part of Harlan Dufree that Emby does have was one of his lungs, giving Emby asthma.
- Chapter 39 is from Roland's point of view. Why do you think Shusterman changes the narrative here? What do we learn in this short chapter? I think it's to show what Roland's character really is. We found out that he didn't kill the golden, he pulled a lot of pranks to people but he said that he isn't the type to kill people.
- By the end of this section, things at the Graveyard have deteriorated, with the unwinds turning on the Admiral, and tearing the place apart. Which character is beaten to death on p250? Cleaver was beaten to death by a group of jeering kids.
- What does the Admiral refuse on p255? What is the doctor's reaction to this? The Admiral refused to get a heart transplant. The doctor was shocked but he agreed to perform a surgery.
- Why does Roland have the Juvey-Cops called? P259 Why doesn't his plan happen? P260-1 Because he thought he can convince them to capture Connor and Risa. His plan didn't work because the juvey cops knew about the graveyard and the unwind there, they just didn't care, if the unwinds are out of the street they don't care.
