46 pages • 1 hour read
Gordon KormanUnplugged
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Technology
Technology and its absence loom large as a recurring motif in the novel. It relates to the theme of Leading Isolated Lives. Wireless technology is promoted as a means to stay in touch with people around the globe. However, it functions in the novel as a means of alienating and separating people from each other. Because Jett’s father is a tech magnate, the boy has access to the most sophisticated technology on the planet, yet he is alone. He can order any game he wants, but he has no one to play with. To some extent, technology can be viewed as a prop. It offers the illusion of connectedness but never the real experience. By taking care of Needles, Jett understands authentic connection for the first time. He says, “Now I’ve got Needles, who isn’t cuddly, or loving, or fun—when he isn’t eating, it’s barely possible to tell if he’s even alive. And I’m totally hooked. Go figure” (162).
It should be noted that the campmates exploit modern conveniences throughout the book despite the fact that these are banned at the Oasis. For example, they steal a motorboat to get to town, and Brooklynne uses a cell phone to summon help when her friends are in danger. Jett and Grace also use a remote control to detonate fireworks, and Tyrell steals a golf cart to ride to the rescue. In each instance, technology is used for the sake of supporting Needles or the members of Team Lizard. However, first the campmates needed to stop using technology as a prop to support their isolation long enough to build and reinforce new interpersonal connections.
Nature
The Oasis wellness center is located in the wilds of Arkansas. As a result, immersion in nature becomes another recurring motif that relates to the theme of The Value of Interdependence. The Oasis promotes group activities that are designed to create a sense of community among the guests. However, this artificial construct of camaraderie doesn’t work for the members of Team Lizard. Jett hates everyone. Tyrell is afraid of everyone. Brooklynne is hiding secrets from everyone, and Grace is busy judging everyone. Divisiveness is built into their group dynamic. Ironically, nature succeeds in establishing the camaraderie that Magnus’s carefully designed activities fail to generate.
A baby lizard floundering in a hot spring is all it takes. Grace establishes an immediate link with the reptile and pities its plight. Brooklynne is fascinated by the oddity of such a creature in a place that ceased to interest her years earlier. Tyrell is able to care for the one creature at the Oasis to which he isn’t allergic. Jett finds himself captivated because he never had the chance to interact with a pet before. Each one recognizes that Needles is relying on them to survive, and they band together to fulfill that need. It turns out that meeting the dietary needs of one tiny reptile becomes a monumental undertaking that engages all of them in a group effort. The dependence that Needles has on each of them creates interdependence among the group. All of Magnus’s methods for getting back to nature are never as effective as the appeal of one tiny alligator.
Food
In Unplugged, food becomes a substance charged with meaning. The choice of what to eat has spiritual and social significance for the characters. Food of various types is also a recurring motif related to the theme of When to Break the Rules. Just as the Oasis bans technology, it also bans outside food. Specifically, the guests are expected to follow a healthy vegetarian diet while at the retreat center. However, food violations run rampant over the course of the novel. The first infraction occurs when Jett orders a delivery of barbecued meat from a local restaurant. Matt and Tyrell both succumb to the temptation to indulge, while Grace remains shocked and judgmental.
This early violation is compounded by multiple trips to the restaurants in Hedge Apple for more carnivorous delicacies. To make matters worse, Brandon must be bribed with candy bars to buy his silence about Needles. Eventually, Jett develops a lucrative underground business as a candy supplier for all the kids at the Oasis. Grace continues to mutter and complain about the violation of the rules and the biological pollution of guests eating all these forbidden items. With the exception of Grace, Jett and his friends have no problem violating a rule that they all consider to be silly. However, Jett’s attitude changes when he discovers that Ivory has been dining on steak away from the Oasis. He is enraged by her hypocrisy, saying, “The thought of pathfinders gorging on steak while the rest of us gas up on Oasis chow is the straw that breaks the camel’s back” (250). Presumably, Jett feels that breaking the food rules is all right as long as one doesn’t lie about it.
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By Gordon Korman
