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Neal Shusterman's
Neal Shusterman's
Writing style
Writing style
Philosophical concept
Philosophical concept
When analyzing Shusterman’s writing, he always surrounds his writing with a philosophical and ethical concept. Something that leaves the reader questioning whether his problem is right or wrong. Moral ambiguity is the name of the game. Readers walk away questioning their own morals and reflecting on oneself. “What would I have done in that situation? I don’t know.” Is what I find myself thinking when I read his work.
Gradualy Unsettling Tone
Gradualy Unsettling Tone
When he starts his book, the first chapter leaves a bitter taste in the reader's mouth. Not much is explained but the plot starts to take meaning. The start of the book creates an unsettling tone that isn't easy to pick up on right away, but grows through the first few chapters. This draws the reader in and never lets go.
Teen Charatcers
Teen Charatcers
Shusterman’s plots always surround a teen or many teens. In these plots, the teenagers often deal with changing realities, whether that be the world around them or themselves. The teenagers are the ones that get stuck with the difficult choices even the reader can't decide. And throughout the book, the narrative follows this teen or teens as they navigate the evolving environment.
Sentance Structure
Sentance Structure
The most profound anomaly in Shusterman’s storytelling is his sentence structure. He uses simple sentence structure, sometimes with incomplete thoughts. With this sentence structure he chooses to repeat many things whether that be words, rhythms, or length of sentences.
"Version Better"
"Version Better"
The world ended quietly.
No guns. No bombs. No screaming. No pain. No long, dramatic collapse of civilizations, with families being torn apart or buildings collapsing or random volcanoes erupting. Nothing like how the old movies promised.
No death — technically.
Just a notification.
UPDATE COMPLETE.
That message hit every phone at exactly 3:27 a.m.
By dawn everything was… better.
I noticed it first at breakfast. My mom made me breakfast every morning, even though I was 18. I liked it most days. Today was not one of those days.
When I got down stairs I saw smoke rising from the toaster, while my mom was across the kitchen cutting up a banana that was so green it looked like it had been out at sea for months. Weird. My mom was precise with everything she did, so the fact that I had to unplug the toaster before the house burned down was foreign to me.
“Oh hon I’m sorry, I must've gotten distracted.” The words came out of her mouth, but I think one side of her face forgot to react. She just stared at me with a half smile, a literal half smile, waiting for my response. When I didn’t give one, she continued, “It’s a-ok, I’ll just scrap off the black for ya.”
My mother was not one to ‘scrape off the black’ on toast. Oh no. She didn’t even let the toast get black, and if by some anomaly it happened, I would’ve had a fresh piece two minutes later. She was meticulous about everything. It irked me for the most part, but I still loved her. I told her once that it was just her charm.
So when I had to gag the black toast with an unripe banana on top down my throat, I knew something was off, but I didn't question it. That migraine she had last night must have not worn off yet.
At school, it was worse.
Or better. Depending on how you looked at it.
No one shoved anyone into lockers. No one whispered behind people's backs. Even Kirt, who built his entire career on making people miserable, held the door open for me.
“After you!” he gestured with his hand.
And he meant it.
That’s when I knew something was wrong. Kirt doesn't mean anything.
I gave him a quick head nod and walked through, noticing that he smirked at me, but the smirk must not have registered in his eyes...
An hour into school and the teachers stopped yelling at the class. It was useless because there was no discord. Everyone was silent. Everyone was focused. It's like we all had agreed, secretly, that all conflict was unnecessary.
Antiquated.
Defunct.
Like famine. Like war.
Like death.
I decided to test my hypothesis.
During homeroom, I told my boyfriend Garett, that his new song sounded rushed. That the chords clashed. That it seemed lazy.
I expected him to punch me in the arm and tell me I didn't get music like him, one of his go to responses.
Instead he nodded. “You’re right, Luke." He spoke calmly, “I’ll do better.”
It was like trying to light a wet match. No hurt, or irritation. No spark.
I learned, as I drove home that day, that perfection was quiet.
Too quiet.
Laying in bed, I figured out what was missing.
It wasn’t pain, or anger.
It was resistance.
The friction that makes people argue and make up. The friction that makes people want more. The friction that makes people fight for better.
People lost their drive, their passion.
Their life.
It seemed everywhere I turned, everyone was content, lifeless. I scoured the internet, but not a single sign of consciousness. Just peace, empty peace.
I looked back down at my phone, the notification glowing like a beacon of despair.
UPDATE COMPLETE.
What if I’m the only one that remembers how it should be?
How was this emulated?
How was this emulated?
Philosophical concept
Philosophical concept
Although it is hinted at in the writing, it does not explicitly present a philosophical or ethical concept. To emulate Neal Shusterman, I wrote as if I was writing the first chapter to his book. The “UPDATE COMPLETE” and talking of “empty peace” hints at a theme of people becoming too content in lives, and losing their “friction” or drive. This emulation creates the question of if being too content is a positive thing for the human race or will it just seem as if everyone has lost consciousness and collapsed society.
Gradualy Unsettling Tone
Gradualy Unsettling Tone
As the reader reads the emulation, the quiet uncomfortability of Shusterman’s writing is copied. The first part isn't inherently unsettling, but as the plot starts to be explained, an unsettling tone grows stronger and stronger. This, as in Shusterman's writing, forces the reader to continue reading to cure their discomfort.
Teen Charatcers
Teen Charatcers
The plot surrounds a teenager, as seen through his age being expressed in the writing and the fact that he is still in high school. Neal writes with teen characters, and in the writing I wrote as a teen character with very real teen issues. This teen is identified as being at the center of the plot, and the weight of the ethical concept was pushed on him, when he asks the question of “What if I’m the only one that remembers how it should be?”
Sentance Structure
Sentance Structure
As in Shuterman’s writing, in this emulation, the use of simple sentence structure is profound. To emulate his writing one had to recognize his use of short fragmented sentences. This can be seen through phrases in the writing: “Too quiet.” “It was resistance.” “Their life.”
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