UNWIND: The Idea of Being Alone

Theme: Being alone

Being alone is not necessarily always a bad thing. Being alone can help you to think more clearly, can give you space from other people's emotions or can make you feel free. But, being alone for too long can make you feel sad or depressed. Find three quotes from within the text for Connor, Lev and Risa to show their reactions to being alone. How does the theme of being alone shape the text? 

Connor: 
Connor is scared of being alone, evident through this quote found on Page 4, Chapter 1. He is 'terrified' to run away - or 'kick-AWOL' - without his girlfriend Ariana, despite being known as the bad boy in society, indicating to readers that Connor isn't as hard and insensitive like he seems. 
"Connor hangs on the thought. The idea of kicking-AWOL by himself terrifies him. He might put up a tough front, he might act like the bad boy at school - but running away on his own? He doesn't even know if he has the guts."

Risa
Risa feels hurt when she is alone. Evident through the quote, 'Mr. Durkin does not come. This hurts Risa most of all.' Mr Durkin is a teacher and fatherly figure to Risa, and Risa feels lonely and hurt when he does not come to visit her in a guest room. 

Lev
Lev feels the most alone when he is kidnapped by Connor and Risa: being the odd-man-out in a 2 strangers against 1 boy battle, he can't help but feel lonely, disbelieving, nervous and speechless. "My parents will look for me," Lev quotes, disbelieving that he will remain tied up with these strangers. 

How does the theme of being alone shape the text?
Loneliness is an important motif in Unwind, all of the protagonists experience it and it helps readers understand the true, inside emotions the characters have to deal with. The author has included these moments of loneliness to portray how these characters feel in emotional situations, to represent the character's reputation in the book as 'outsiders' or 'weirdos'.