Under the Never Sky

A utopia is the opposite of dystopia and is defined as a society, usually imaginative, which aims for a state of perfection. However, the main allure of utopia leads to complacency and lack of progress, as its citizens are not motivated to improve a society they already deem to be perfect. Even when it begins to deteriorate, a utopian society’s citizens won’t realize the signs or comprehend its dangers before it’s too late. Even if they do, they’ll have no plans in place to combat pressing issues.

Aria is “a mole who live[s] in fake worlds” (152). Her escapism in the Realms gives her no applicable knowledge to apply Outside. When Aria gains her first glimpses of the real without the filter of the Realms or her Smarteye, she’s surprised by what she finds. The airlock door of Ag 6 and her boots are both gray, “a shade that covered nearly every surface in Reverie” (5), and yet when she removes her rose-colored glasses, both literally and figuratively, the color seems much less vibrant. This discovery is Aria’s first hint that the Pods aren’t as utopian as they’ve always seemed.

After surviving the Ag 6 fire, Aria begins to notice all the places where Reverie is “rusted and cracked” (64). With this new awareness, Aria wishes for a new Smarteye so she can escape into a realm. The mental crutch her Smarteye and the Realms provide Aria for coping with reality illustrates avoidance as a coping mechanism. Soren’s erratic behavior when faced with Outsider freedom exemplifies the dangers of the limited real experiences amongst Dwellers, which further presents in the limbic system disorder Lumina studies. The Pods control “many of [humankind’s] most basic processes” (256). This includes the drive to procreate; comprehension of and reaction to strong emotions such as stress or fear; and the ability to make decisions or trust one’s intuition. By eliminating everything they’ve deemed unimportant, this utopian society has unwittingly diminished activity in parts of the brain that distinguish human beings from “savage” animals.

In Ag 6, Aria doesn’t know how to cope with real fire or the discomforts of pain or sweat. The fact that she’s never experienced these mundane sensations evidences the ease of life Dwellers have and the lack of opportunity to build resilience. Similarly, Aria and her friends have no fear of illness because “Reverie’s sterile environment eradicated disease” (41) long ago, and the Pod is so self-contained that this doesn’t present an issue. However, Aria soon learns the consequences of this seclusion, which weakens their immune systems in addition to their mental fortitudes; because of this, any interaction with the Outside world “fe[els] like suicide” (6). To Aria, it practically is. While witnessing Perry fight, Aria discovers everything she believes she knows about it is wrong. Her ability to defend herself against attack is sorely lacking, and she is unable to tell the difference between safe and poisonous berries. At every turn, Aria’s faced with life-or-death decisions and learned intuition is vital to survival. Yet, Aria is unable to trust her own judgment because she doesn’t know enough about the real to make informed decisions.

Aria and her friends at the start of the novel exemplify conformity. Though there are slight differences between Dwellers—Soren has a luxurious tan bought with his wealth and an enormous ego due to his father’s prestigious position in Reverie—they are all eerily similar to one another due to genetic modifications made to the inhabitants of every Pod. Teeth are straight without incisors, skin is unblemished, nails do not grow, and all women don’t get their monthly cycles. These qualities are regulated or eradicated in the Pods because they’re considered unnecessary.

When some of these changes come creeping in the longer Aria remains Outside, she’s devastated. Her life in the Pods has taught her to value conformity over individuality. Therefore, when her nails begin to grow, and she gets her first blood, Aria begins to view herself as a “Savage.” Though she eventually learns to appreciate her differences and value the qualities that keep her alive Outside, the road to that conclusion is not an easy one. Aria’s main difference from other Dwellers is her singing voice, which she’s always loathed due to the fact that it sets her apart from everyone else. Upon learning Perry’s name and identifying the falcon tattooed on his back, she notes a similarity between them; categorized as a falcon soprano in opera, Aria “was a falcon too” (117). Aria shudders at the knowledge that her individuality makes her more similar to an Outsider than other Dwellers.

Aria shows disgust and fear when confronted with Perry and other Outsiders, believing them to be nothing more than animalistic “Savages.” She internally criticizes the fact that Perry “was covered with imperfections” (119), a judgment that extends to his tattoos. Perry’s community values individuality and celebrates changes—such as a woman’s first blood—unlike Aria’s. While Aria finds comfort in the Smarteye, Perry views it as “a parasite” (120). Their conflicting values are shown in a conversation they have early on: After mentioning that Aria doesn’t feel like herself without her Smarteye, Perry admits to feeling the same way about his Markings. The difference is that Aria’s Smarteye is identical to every other Dwellers’ Smarteye, whereas Markings are unique to each Outsider.

Aria eventually comes to see individuality as a sign of strength. She’s always believed herself to be not unusual compared to other Dwellers, her only real difference being her talent for singing. However, Perry reminds her that “everyone feels lost and low,” but “it’s how a person acts that makes them different” (241). By persevering against all odds to survive the Outside in pursuit of her mother, Aria has displayed traits that set her further apart from the other Dwellers, illustrating courage and resilience in the face of danger and uncertainty.