The Unwanteds
Lisa McMann
THEME ONE: CREATIVITY IS A GIFT
The Unwanteds, who are usually children, are sent to their graves by Justine. So she thinks anyway. Mr. Today is the Eliminator at the oil lake and is behind the executions. What's really happening is Mr. Today is saving these Unwanteds because he believes in the characteristics of creativity and imagination because it is truly a gift. He is a magical wizard who brings these children to the land of Artimé, beyond the walls of Quill where nobody knows of, and shows the Unwanteds that there is a life of freedom and happiness instead of the dreary one in Quill. In Artimé, creativity is praised because it defines a person as who they truly are. Before Artimé, these Unwanteds were not allowed to even show a sense of feeling so now that they are able to express these new feelings, they shape into their own special selves. For example, one Unwanted could be a expert painter and paint elaborate paintings or create elegant sculptures while another Unwanted could be a great musician and play lovely music off an instrument. This creativity allows for the children to connect with their inner spirit and practice another piece of art; magic. The emotions and imaginations of the children allow for them to create and practice magical spells and conjurations for good, or bad. This creative lifestyle gives children the gift of freedom and self pride.
THEME TWO: CREATIVITY IS POWER
When Quill discovers Artimé, High Priest Justine is furious by the betrayal of Mr. Today and orders the destruction of Artimé. A battle is imminent. Both sides have been training for something like this for years and when the time comes, the battle rages like wildfire. The Quill army is a force consisting of foot soldiers with guns and vehicles while the Unwanted force is children with the tools of artists and the such. The Unwanteds out maneuvered, out powered, and out strategized the Quill army. They used odd and abnormal tactics and fooled the Quill forces into many traps. Their creativity benefited them with an advantage to win this war and showed the power that is possible when that creativity is used.
RELATION OF THEMES
The idea of creativity is a power proves it is a gift in itself. The way the Unwanteds decimated the Quill army with their creative thinking showed that having that train of thought gave them the upper edge. This holds true in real life as well. If we relate the Unwanteds to Americans again; our military is superior because of how they maneuver and strategize. The subject is debatable though. Being creative gave the Unwanteds a sense of self being. It made them special in their own way by having the power of being able to express feelings and their thoughts. If we were not able to express our thoughts in our lives, or be able to even dance, sing, or draw; what would our lives be like?