Summary Of Delirium By Lauren Oliver

Within the novel “Delirium” written by Lauren Oliver, there was a girl by the name of Magdalena (Lena) Haloway. She existed within a society where love was considered a deadly disease, and upon reaching the age of 18 it was mandatory you were ‘cured’ of it. Most accepted this fate, as it guaranteed you a life without the inconvenience love may bring. But those with the illness did not want to live without it. Despite their wishes, not a single citizen had a choice in the matter. Each and every citizen was forced to receive “The Cure”.

At the beginning of the story, Lena was excited for this. She self-identified as your average girl, attending school and abiding by societal expectations. There was never a time where she came into contact with those of the opposing gender, nor did she break the strict 9:00 pm curfew.

As a result of her obedient nature, she believed that “criticizing the system [was] the worst offense there [was]” (Oliver 20).

This quotation demonstrates her devotion to the government. She had the belief that it was not flawed, and their pure motive was their citizen's safety. When Hana (her best friend) was caught criticizing the lack of choices citizens were able to make, Lena responded saying, “Every choice is limited. That's life” (Oliver 21). She was content with the order of society and said it at the time when she believed in everything the government claimed. Her most dreaded nightmare was leering off the strict path previously paved for her. Her life was set out for her, there was no doubt about it. She would receive the procedure, be paired with her husband and they would exist together for all of

eternity.

When her time for ‘The Cure’ came she did not resist. Due to unfortunate circumstances, her test came to a halt when a rampage of cows came barging in. It was led to believe it was a protest staged by those rebelling against the government. During the commotion, she witnessed a boy staring, and momentarily let her thoughts drift from the uproar. Due to the intrusion to her original test, it was rescheduled.

During the waiting period, she spends numerous days accompanied by the boy who caught her eye. This boy, Alex, was the person who came into her life and turned it upside down. As a person, she transitioned from shy and obedient, to evolving into her true self. She lived and loved, taking risks and experiencing things no one ever dared to before. She soon became accustomed to other perspectives and discovered truths and lies within her society. This resulted in her no longer acting as obedient as she did previously.

As her second test neared, she came to a realization. She had caught the disease, and no longer was accepting of the procedure. The procedure was mandatory, and being in love was considered deadly. The government did not care if you were in love, it was forbidden and must be destroyed. This society was anything but supportive of love, and if you were infected you must be ‘treated’ immediately. To not conform, was punishable by death.