Erin Bowman Character Analysis

Taken by Erin Bowman

“The future belongs to the curious. The ones, who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it and turn it inside out” –Unknown. Throughout the novel, the author, Erin Bowman, shows that curiosity is found to be unfortunate which influences people to break rules, since it was not always meant to be pursued. Being too curious can lead to complications, new innovations and discovering private knowledge.

Firstly, curiosity can discover confidential information that may be harmful or beneficial. “I notice something behind Blaine’s childhood sketch. It’s a letter written in script. To my eldest son, it begins. This is Ma’s writing, careful and clean. I take a deep breath and keep reading” (Bowman pg.35.) Firstly, when Gray found a letter hidden behind a picture frame; he must investigate what’s on the letter. The letter is written by his mother, explaining that he and his brother, Blaine, are in fact… however the rest of the letter was ripped off and not finished. This is when his curiosity grows to figure out what his mother was going to say. “How dare they keep a secret that so clearly affects me? And, now what? They are both gone and I am left alone in the dark without answers. Whatever truth Ma hoped would be reveled at Blaine’s heist remains a mystery” (Bowman

pg.37”) Afterwards, when Gray entered into the order after climbing the wall, his brother showed him the rest of the letter that his mother gave him that in fact proves that Gray and Blaine are twins. Shocked about the new information, he goes out to find what else has been kept from him. “Five test groups have been set up across Ameast, labeled, for now, from A to E. As the nature of this project is to create durable and tough solider we need a range of subjects for experimentation.” (Bowman pg.252) Gray discovers that there are more people living in different groups among them in the exact situation he was, back in Claysoot. Once he reads through all the journals explaining the heist, the wall and the groups, he is very overwhelmed with all of this new information. However, now with all of this knowledge Gray can start new changes in their lives.
Secondly, curiosity can lead to new innovations. “Group C has built a surprisingly stable town. In just over a year they now have livestock fields and markets. Talks about something similar have sprung up in Group B”; “Group D is remarkably ingenious. Freshwater springs have been found and guided into reservoirs. Shelters have been created” (Bowman pg.256) “ The first people in Group C, B and D have all found a way to survive the conditions they were put in and to build a society to start new lives. “I’ve recruited a new addition for our labs today, a boy by the name of Harvey Maldoon. He is young, but brilliant, a genius at the mere age of sixteen. The blessed child is already hard at work, confident that he can create a forgery as skilled and mature as its source.” (Bowman pg.259) Harvey created clones and forgeries of their best solider for Frank because frank is planning to start an army to fight with if any wars that erupt, with all of the heisted people and forgeries. With all of these forgeries there will be many troubles waiting.
Furthermore, curiosity usually leads to trouble. “I don’t know what I expected to find on this side of the wall-a gaping black hole through which I’d drift forever” Once Emma and Gray went over the wall they encountered dangers and fear such as things they did not have in Claysoot that startled them. However, they were saved by a group of Frank’s order members, before the thing that kills people in the outer rim of the wall came. “And then there is a voice behind us “Freeze.” Bo, Emma and I do, but Bree reacts so instinctively I don’t have the time to stop her. She spins on her heels, brings her rifle up to her chest. She aims and fires.” When Gray, Bo, Emma and Bree break into the control room at the order, there are some complications when Bree has been shot down, now when Frank finds out they broke into his city, he will be furious and new problems will start up. Bree getting shot and not being able to move her arm means she cannot drive them home, so Bo must drive them back to the rebels.
In summary, Curiosity can bring out the best in people however it can cause major issues in their lives and can bring dangers ahead.

In Gray’s case, his thrive for more knowledge and wanting to know the answers to all of the questions he has, has made him want to figure out more about the laicos project and find a way to help the groups still in the project. Being curious in life can get you to know things that you weren’t supposed to know which can lead to troubles later in life; however it is never a bad thing. The emotion humanity possess of curiosity can be deemed as a burden to some, although having the eagerness to know more is always considered

positive.