The Confusion of Future, Essay Example

In the history of the human world, people were always interested in future and tried to predict or at least imagine how the world could change. In this context, fiction literature is the most interesting field that demonstrates how far human imagination can go about future and consequences of human decisions and actions. The novel “Stung” by Bethany Wiggins is not an exception. The aim of this paper is to write a report on this novel.

The story takes place in the dystopian future, where bees are extinct because of some mysterious bee flue and the chain reaction starts. As a result of the eco-disaster      people were beginning to get infected by the transmitted illness and soon had to get a vaccination. The problem with vaccination was that it resulted in horrible side-effects – vaccinated children would turn into terrible monsters later called Raiders who would rape, kill, and eat anything they come across on their way.

This dystopian future is divided into different classes separated by a wall. The highest class consists of people that are healthy and live happily behind the walls of the city. They continue to have a normal life. Their normal life is protected by Militia, who are outside the wall and fight Raiders, they are like protectors or guards of the existing order. Another class Fecs consists of people who are neither infected or Militia or lucky enough to live in the city – they are the ones to live in sewers trying to survive. The world seems to function by the mixed rules of survival and market economy in which honey is the most precious good.

This is the world in which the main character Fiona wakes up. The story starts when Fiona wakes up in her house in Colorado. The last thing she remembers was that she went to sleep when she was thirteen in the absolutely normal world as we know it today, and she woke up four years later, when she is seventeen. She is confused about what is going on – her house is destroyed, the neighborhood is deserted, and her brother is a monster. Even worse, she has an awkward tattoo that she somehow knows she has to hide.

The story is told from the first person, and the reader is as confused about what is happening in that future world as the main character. Soon Fiona finds out that she is marked as Raider and, in fact, she was meant to turn into a monster, like everyone else, but for some reason she is not like them.  On each stage of her exploration of the new world, Fiona meets different people who are far from whom they seem to be. She becomes friends with Arrin one the Fecs. When Fiona is taken by Militia, she meets her old friend Dreyden Bowen, who has been secretly in love with her since their childhood years.

Bowen is the second main character and the person Fiona has romantic feelings for. Their love story becomes the main theme of the novel and sometimes is even more important than finding the answers to why the world is the way it is. Overcoming various obstacles, the main heroes find the answers regarding why the world is the way it is. Fiona is almost killed by Bowen’s brother. She finds out that her sister Liz is alive, and she was the one with her husband Dr. Grayson, who saved from the governor who wanted everyone cured to be dead. Only at the end of the book, the entire story makes sense.

There is a cure for the disease, but the governor of the city does not want to lose his power which is based on fear. He also uses the blood of Raiders to preserve his youth and strength. So, the cure is of no use for his regime.  The book ends with Fiona being in the care of her sister and doctor while Bowen makes an announcement on TV that there is a cure and that people will be saved. Then the TV translation shows people dancing on the streets being happy for their future and finally having hope for the days to come.

In general, the book is well written. It is very easy to follow and understand. The author managed to keep readers as confused as the main character, but it makes the reading even more interesting and fascinating. The reading experience is based on the curiosity of what exactly has happened to that world and why the main character is different. The described world originates from the problems we face today. So, it is very much the world people could find themselves in. It is c cruel world of survival. Yet, it is also the world that is governed by the same principles as some of the modern countries. The way the city is ruled and how different categories of human society are divided from one another is like anti-democratic regimes of a communist or fascist rule. In that society, people are governed by fear and only one person – the governor – benefited from that world order.

Another theme of this book is the value of human life. The author shows that although in the world of survival human life is of little value, strong inter-personal feelings can overcome everything. In other words, family ties between Liz and Fiona, love between Fiona and Bowen show that human survival is not the final aim of life. Love and interpersonal relations are the most important things in human life, and they can overcome even terrible conditions of the post-apocalyptic world.   The author also shows that people need each other in order to make a change in this world and that even in the severe conditions love can make them human again.

On the other hand, the novel also pays attention to the human nature. In this context, human feelings are defensive mechanisms are shown like features of the animal world. This is well shown in the relationship between Fiona and Bowen. Although the doctor said that Bowen had a soft spot for helping women, at the beginning of their relationship with Fiona, he is very dominant and even rude in his attitude to her. This is because he lived in that world for four years while she was asleep and for him to express his feelings is very difficult.

On one occasion, his presence in that world was the most vivid. When Fiona was wearing a dress, Bowen commented that he was not able to control himself near her and that she might be in danger next to him.  This occasion was less romantic but more realistic for that world, but it also showed how people are different depends on the lives they had and what happened to them. Fiona had very little experience with that world and men, in general, that is why for her the entire situation was very awkward.

In general, I have a very good impression from this book. I enjoyed reading it. The plot was interesting, and some twists were quite unexpected. I liked the characters and how they fit into the experiences they had. From the first glance, it may seem that Fiona was too passive in her actions, but it was mainly due to the confusion of waking up in the unknown and awkward world. I think, if I were in her place, I would also be confused, and it would take a while to understand the world around me.

I also think that the author is good at showing the modern problems and how they can change human lifestyle and the world in general. I found the idea with bees particularly interesting. Also, the problem of vaccination and division of the world by walls and human roles are also very modern. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in urban fantasy and dystopian genres, but also to everyone who like a good and easy read with interesting plot twists.

Comparing this work to other works in the genre like “Hunger Games” and “Divergent”, I would say that this novel is more realistic in showing vulnerable, human side, while the other two show stronger heroic personalities. I think it is easier to relate to Fiona in her confusion than Katniss and Tris with the burden of their uniqueness and duties they had to fulfill. Yet, I do like all three novels.