Good And Evil In 'The Knife Of Never Letting Go'

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3. THE GOOD AND EVIL IN DYSTOPIAN NOVELS
"All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil". This quote by anonymous individual could be explained as; all themes and struggles in literature can be lead down to their most basic forms as conflict of good versus evil. Usually in conflicts, there are two sides that fight over one particular aspect. One side is considered good, which are fighting for their morals, while the other side is considered bad and are fighting for the wrong reasons. (Online 5)
According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English (1996), the notion “good” is defined as: “Good1 (adj.) 1. Having the right or desired qualities; one that is bright and cheerful. 2. Beneficial. …show more content…

In the novel by Patrick Ness the protagonist – Todd Hewit, a young boy is thrust in to the world, which is unknown to him. Together with his companions – his loyal dog Munchee and the first girl he has ever seen Viola, he must outrun an army with his tyrant mayor, and his insane priest, who is trying to kill them. During this journey, Todd realises how oblivious he has been his whole life. The good in this novel is shown by the help of Todd and his thoughts, it can be mentioned that on the planet where he lives, every thought of males can be heard, unless one is able to control them. The battle of good and evil in the novel can also be described as the fight Todd battles in his journey, when he is made to work under the mayor as his subordinate. Todd understands that the things he must do are immoral, but in some cases he forgets that, because of the persuasion of the Mayor, who in this case is the antagonist. Todd gets to understand his wrong doings by the help of his companion – Viola. (Ness, …show more content…

Todd has to understand, if the actions he takes are good and bad, and how to prevent the evil thoughts of corrupting him. Patrick Ness’s thoughts on his character Todd are as follows: “How much of ourselves do we create? His soul, Viola’s life, and the future of their world may hinge on the battle that wages within. If the Noise is man unfiltered, maybe the solution isn’t to filter the Noise, but to change the man.” During this interview he states that in order for people to take the good things seriously, he first must write about the bad things: “I need to write about darkness and violence not gratuitously, but as truthfully and respectfully as I can… Then when I write about good things: trust, friendship and surviving loss, they will take me more seriously.” (Online

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