Humans strive to make their way to the top of society to create what they see as a utopia. This drive exists in all of us. Good things come from this characteristic. Horrible events also occur. Once at the top and in power, others who oppose the one at the top are subjugated or expelled. Atsuko Asano's novel No.6 portrays an ideal society on the surface. Science and technology flourish. Only 0.05% of deaths in the sixth place result from suicide. The novel focuses on the holy city, n.6. It is one of six city-states founded after nuclear fallout. Sees the world in black or white. Citizens are for or against n.6. This society strives to be perfect, but it cannot avoid an important human characteristic. Humans will use, abuse, or eliminate the weakest or the naysayers to stay on top. The people inside the number 6 are citizens and outside the wall are insects. Shion, a resident who escapes false imprisonment, wants to blur the lines between black and white. Shion is only human. Human beings desire the perfect society and strive to create one with good intentions, but they succumb to being human. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At first, number 6 appears to be a world without pain. Science is advancing to the point that citizens no longer have to worry about premature death from most diseases. Even the elderly do not fear death. Once they meet certain unstated criteria, the government sends them to the Twilight Cottage, which cares for the elderly until the end. Once death comes, families do not have to worry about their loved ones suffering before death. At the funeral “everyone seemed to be having a wonderful dream” (Vol 1. Ch. 3). A peaceful death is not the only illusion the government forces its citizens to believe. With everything perfect, citizens have no need to rebel against the government. No.6 puts up a facade so that citizens think they are always safe and protected. Those who live outside the wall that divides Number 6 from the West Block cannot afford such a luxury. In fact, No.6 targets those outside the wall to become stronger. For the mayor of No.6, “West Block is not part of the city” and uses it as “a kind of landfill” (Vol. 1 Ch. 4). Shion, disgusted that the city he lived in could treat others as subhuman, vows to change his ways. Shion moves to West Block until No.6 collapses. West Block does not hide its wrongdoings like No.6. People want to survive and morals are ignored. The weak will die and the strong will reap the benefits. Shion still believes that the people inside and outside the wall are the same humans. Her friend Inukashi tells Shion that "if she continues to believe in that fantasy of hers, she will never survive in the West Block" (Vol. 3 Ch. 1). But the citizens of No. 6 and West Block are the same human beings. They both want to free each other. They want power and to stay there. The only difference is that number 6 lies and hides their motives. In their minds there are two options: fall of No.6 or the West Block. However, Shion sees the third way. He sees a way to “seek coexistence rather than punishment” (Vol. 7 Ch. 3). West Block and No.6 can coexist. Before this can happen, the wall separating Number 6 from the West Block must fall. Number 6 didn't collapse just because Shion and Nezumi destroyed the Mother Computer or parasitic wasps killed random citizens. It acted as a catalyst that allowed new people to come to power. The people.
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