Under the Never Sky

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2011

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-9

Chapters 10-20

Chapters 21-32

Chapters 33-45

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Scent

Many of the scents described within the novel are motifs for The Eroding Nature of Perfection. In the Pods, every inhabitant is genetically modified to perfection. The Realms themselves are designed to be “Better than Real,” and every virtual experience is more perfect than a real one. Aria is no exception, but because of this, when Perry first meets her, he notes her smell as pungent and decaying—like every Dweller he crosses paths with. The Dwellers’ obsession with perfection erodes their mental and physical health but also destroys their ability to live fulfilling lives.

At the beginning of the novel, Aria’s scent is like “flesh at the brink of decay” (104). Her odor makes Perry physically nauseous and is so potent it brings a sour taste to his mouth. Similarly, Talon’s sickness smells fetid, and though Perry doesn’t want to believe his illness is getting worse, “scents never lied” (34-35). Perry favors reading scents over listening to the words people speak because it’s much easier to tell a lie from the truth this way. In keeping with this logic, Aria’s scent does not lie either. Perry smells the decaying effect Pod-life has on Dwellers, and it’s related to the debilitating and life-threatening illness Talon may eventually die from.

The more time Aria spends Outside, the more her body experiences physical changes without the altering or moderating done by the Pods. Her monthly cycles make an appearance, her hair and nails grow, and her body gains new muscle. These changes improve her health and nutrition, changing her scent from decay to the smell of fresh, blooming violets in spring. This marked change in her scent illustrates how the qualities the Pods believe are unnecessary, “Savage,” or flawed are actually vital to the quality of life.

Singing

Singing is a motif for Conformity Versus Individuality, while music itself symbolizes the vitality and versatility of real life. Aria’s always believed Lumina “crafted Aria’s DNA with enhanced vocal traits to create a daughter who could sing to her” (81). Aria doesn’t view her talent as a gift, but as a burden and doesn’t understand the sense or need for such an upgrade. Her excuse is that “no one sang outside of the Realms” (81), and therefore, her gift has no use or impact on the real.

Aria hates the opera. She believes it’s too dramatized, despises its references to violence and crudeness, and doesn’t understand the stories lyrics tend to tell. In every song, there lie stories of risk, many of which speak of heartbreak or tragedy. In the conformity of the Pods, risk has been eliminated, and anyone can experience anything in the Realms. No experience is unique to an individual; everything is shared. The emotion and storytelling of music are lost on Aria and other Pod inhabitants because they have no real stories of their own.

Perry despises Dwellers and finds their lack of individuality unnerving. At the start of their journey, when he can barely tolerate listening to Aria speak, he only realizes how beautiful her voice is when he hears her sing. After hearing it, she’s immediately differentiated from other Dwellers, and he finds “he’d rather she sang more instead of talked” (131) despite not caring for verbal communication at all. It is not until Aria learns to survive Outside that she begins to appreciate her voice. She begins to “have the urge to do it” because “songs are stories” (250), and now she has some of her own.

Names

Names are representative of the characters they embody throughout the novel. Peregrine is representative of the peregrine falcon, which he has tattooed on his back. Similar to Perry, a peregrine falcon is a bird of prey known for its strong hunting ability, versatility, and adaptability. Falcons are also symbolic of wisdom, intuition, and bravery, all qualities that Perry exhibits and highly values.

An area is a solo song for an opera singer. Operas themselves are long, intimidating, and challenging. Arias usually give listeners the opportunity to witness a character’s introspectiveness. Sometimes compared to Shakespeare’s soliloquies, one of an aria’s greatest strengths is its ability to depict a character alone, searching for a happy ending, illustrating growth or exceptional ability in front of an audience, and offering a window into one’s soul. Each of these qualities illuminates Aria’s own long, intimidating, challenging, and at least partially solo journey Outside once exiled from Reverie. In Chapter 36, Aria says: “We’re alike, Perry. My voice is called a falcon soprano” (320). The name of her voice further connects her to Perry.

Many other characters embody characteristics of their names, including Vale and Roar. A vale is a valley, illustrating Vale’s connection to the Tide’s homeland and his unwillingness to leave. Ultimately, his loyalty to the place trumps everything else, even his own family, and leads to his downfall. Roar is an Aud, his heightened ability to hear allowing him to sense even the slightest of noises. Roar’s excessively talkative nature also adheres to the “prolonged sound” aspect of the word’s definition. Even Lumina’s name reveals characteristics of her personality, hinting at her bright intelligence and the curiosity she instills and fosters in her daughter.