48 pages • 1 hour read
Downsiders
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Symbols & Motifs
Authority
Throughout the novel, authority figures symbolize incompetence and corruption. In the Downside, in the absence of a Most-Beloved, the authority rests on the Wise Advisors. The name is ironic, and the twist is that the Wise Advisors aren’t smart: “[N]othing they ever said was either wise or advisable” (30). People in power aren’t automatically intelligent or credible: They represent selfishness and deceit—in other words, corruption. The Wise Advisors reveal their corruption with Railborn. He suggests a punishment for Talon and the Wise Advisors tell him, “Very well, then, we’ll do exactly as you say” (119). They’re lying, and they order his execution not because he’s a threat to the Downside but because he challenges the norms and rules that keep the Wise Advisors in power—he’s a threat to them.
The Wise Advisors want to merge themselves with the Downside to make themselves indispensable. When Talon becomes Most-Beloved, he’s genuinely beloved, and though he manipulates rules and norms, his powers help the Downside expand: They now get to live on skyscrapers. Thus, authority isn’t always corrupt. However, Talon’s choice to conceal the truth about the Downside’s origins suggests he has the capacity for deceit and underhanded behavior.
Topside authority is corrupt too. Alfred Beach must build the subway in secret to avoid dealing with the corrupt New York City political machine—particularly, Mayor “Boss” Tweed. The number of unhoused persons also reveals the corruption of Topside authority. The novel begins with an unhoused person, Robert, and Robert goes into Grand Central Station, where he sees several other unhoused persons. If New York City had beneficent authority figures, they’d show compassion and give them decent shelter.
Personal Style
The motif of personal style supports the theme of The Fluidity of Binaries. As with the world, people can change how they look and present themselves. Lindsay transforms her personal style. She loses her braid and lets her hair grow wild. She also wears the earring Talon gave her. The new look gives Lindsay a new identity, and people at school think she’s a long-lost princess. The personal style of Downsiders influences Lindsay’s look, and it reinforces The Fluidity of Binaries. Their clothes symbolize resourcefulness. When Robert meets Talon, Railborn, and Gutta in the tunnel, he notices their style and sees “tiny patches sewn together from a thousand different fabrics” (8). Presumably, Downsiders take different patches and fabrics from Topsiders and stitch them together to make their clothes. Fabrics and patches become fluid, as Downsiders rearrange and repurpose them.
Accessories are in flux, with Downsiders wearing watches on their ankles. Lindsay asks why they wear watches on their ankles, and Talon says, “Time is of low importance” (145). By altering where they wear watches, they modify the symbolism of time. Unlike busy New Yorkers, Downsiders don’t let time control them. With socks, Downsiders change the meaning. In their world, socks aren’t something to put on feet: They’re currency—the sock becomes money. In Downsiders, personal style allows people to express their values and what they represent. As what people value and represent changes, a person’s style can change accordingly.
Clashing Civilizations
The motif of clashing civilizations supports the theme of The Fluidity of Binaries. To uphold the narrative that Topsiders and Downsiders are irrevocable enemies, Downsiders maintain laws and norms that make the relationship look immutable. In all capital letters, Downsiders decree, “FEAR THE TOPSIDE, OR BE CRUSHED BY ITS EMBRACE” (117). Through hyperbole, the Downsiders try to conceal the mutability of their world. They follow laws and norms to advance the idea of clashing civilizations, but the Topside and the Downside aren’t automatically adversarial. Lindsay and Talon’s relationship subverts the motif and reinforces the mutability of the world. Downsiders can form relationships with Topsiders, and the change won’t automatically harm the Downside. Talon brings Lindsay into the Downside, and she doesn’t harm it.
As the rules and norms don’t accurately reflect the truth, the motif of clashing civilizations supports the theme of Breaking Rules and Norms. Talon breaks the laws and customs of the Downside because they’re not fair or thoughtful. They reflect the corruption of the Wise Advisers and don’t benefit everyday Downsiders. While in the Chamber of Soft Walls, Talon asks the guard, “And do the Advisors have a plan for when the walls fall?” The guard replies, “No. They have no plan” (200).
The motif supports Compassion Versus Cruelty, generating a dynamic that encourages the latter. As Downsiders must view Topsiders as enemies, they should show them contempt and cruelty. Yet the characters routinely subvert the motif and act compassionately. Talon doesn’t kill Robert, and he and Lindsay form a powerful bond.
Throughout the story, the motif works as a red herring. The idea of clashing civilizations is false. The two societies can get along, and Talon recognizes that, but he still keeps them apart due to a large knowledge gap. Topsiders know more than Downsiders, and the inequality could create a real clash.
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By Neal Shusterman
