Connor Lassiter Character Analysis in Unwind Essay Example

An important character in the novel Unwind by Neal Shusterman is Connor Lassiter. At the beginning of the text, Connor was not a role model for teenagers, but over time he grew to be more responsible and a true leader, and in the end was definitely a role model for teenagers today.

Connor Lassiter found out he was getting unwound when he found a form in his parents’ room signing for him to be unwound, and ran away almost immediately. He was getting into a lot of fights at school, and didn’t really have that many friends. His girlfriend Ariana, who he was going to run away with, told him ‘It was a dream. Reality got in the way, that's all. And running away doesn’t solve anything’, so he went AWOL alone. He soon met Risa and Lev, with whom he grew his first real friendships with, and eventually trusted both of them with his life. At the beginning of the text Connor was a typical teenager full of angst, a troublemaker who had nothing better to do. But as Connor, Risa and Lev met all sorts of challenges and obstacles of survival, he grew to be a great leader who would lead the Graveyard (illegal site that saved hundreds of escaped AWOLs). 

Connor has two main scenes that proved his growth and development as a character. The first scene is when he saves a storked baby from someone’s front porch, because ‘the Juvies are long for two boys and one girl. Having a baby will throw them off’. But Risa thought ‘Something else drove Connor to run to that porch. But whatever the real reason was, Connor’s keeping it to himself’. I think Connor was just caring for the baby, because he knows the feeling of being neglected and unloved by his parents. He opens up to Risa ‘I remember thinking, if a baby was going to be so unloved, why would God want it brought into the world?’ Connor shows empathy and compassion in this scene, which he had to reason to possess before he went AWOL as no one had ever shown him any.

The second scene that Connor shows growth and development in his character is when he walks in to Roland (an AWOL bully they came to know) trying to rape Risa in an attempt at provoking Connor. But Connor was smarter than that, and knew if he gave in to the temptation of a fight Risa would be disappointed in him. Connor’s love for Risa inspired him to be a better person, and so he only said ‘You two can do whatever you want, Risa and I broke up this morning. Should I turn off the light when I leave?’ Roland was surprised, and suddenly his interest in Risa disappeared and she was left unharmed, following Connor’s plan exactly. And after Risa’s realisation that Connor didn’t say that because he didn’t care about her, he said it because he cared about her so much. 

Connor became a great role model for teenagers today who want to stand up for what they believe in even if it doesn’t align with what everyone else thinks. His love for Risa inspired him to become a better person, and he grew as a character and grew to be someone Risa would love and care for. Connor reminds me of Greta Thunberg, who stood up for what she believed in by making a change and trusting her instincts. Both Connor and Greta are great role models for teenagers today, and can inspire people to make a difference and change for the better.