Past couple weeks have been chaos with me working on getting a full-time job. Nevertheless, we gotta finish up Cinder by Marissa Meyer with a quick chat on the cultures.
Funny enough, my job hunting relates a lot to this topic. As a contracted designer (and having interned with several companies), I’ve witnessed very many workplace cultures that have their highs and lows. The motivations, mentalities, even the people create the overall atmosphere and determine how one approaches or tries to fit in. Different demographics nestle within said cultures too, bringing even more impressions, practices, and ideologies. Culture can be difficult to nail down unless you look with a wide lens and zoom in gradually. Otherwise, you miss the depth.
Today, we’re gonna stick with a wide lens. Marissa Meyer goes deeper as the Lunar Chronicles progress, but since I’d rather you read and enjoy than get a bunch of spoilers, I’ll try to be as general as possible. There’s so much packed in here though, primarily because we have a race not known to man.
Clashing with Lunars
Much of Cinder explores the clash between humanity and the Lunar population. In the History Book Talk, we went over betrayals and sanctioned genocide on the moon which resulted in many Lunars fleeing to Earth and spreading unknown diseases amongst people. With all of this as the backbone, we’re introduced to the Lunar culture with much trepidation.
As per the history, the people of the moon are under a monarchy. But where we imagine days of old with chariots and candlelight, the Lunars are a people of progress and innovation. Starships, body enhancements, medicine. They have a wealth of technology and knowledge, and they know they got it. To the reader, their presented as pretentious and rarely phased. They see themselves as better in all ways to man. But this comes with a caveat: vanity. Many use their special gift to manipulate their appearance and twist the minds of others around them, giving themselves beauty, fame, and control. When such power is threatened (as we saw before), they have no moral qualm about destroying the threat.
Speaking of morality, we don’t get a sense of their principles or worship. Well, other than worshipping themselves. My impression, and why I can’t stand Lunars, is that they thrive on achieving their personal goal at all costs. Some believe the blue fever sickness was a bioweapon to tip the hand of humanity to give the queen control over Earth. Other power plays occur throughout the series, but the sentiment is the same: I matter more.
Grr, I hate that. Thankfully not every Lunar has this impression. Some decide to never use their gift, risking their own health for the sake of not manipulating others. Within their caste system, it appears the royals and their confidants tend toward smug superiority while lower classes and Shells lean away from such thoughts. Again, there are discrepancies, and for the better.
Understanding the Outcasts Among Humanity
Where Lunars are the snub angels on high, cyborgs are the rugged fallen angels. The difficulty here is that we’re dealing with two groups: people who wanted the augmentation and people who needed it. Think voluntary surgery versus an amputee.
I love how history and culture work together. Much of how cyborgs are perceived has to do with the background of the blue fever and them being test subjects. This then affects how they walk amongst the populace. Those who can hide their augmentations with grafts and clothing do so, that way no one knows what they are. And I do mean what as that’s the perception our main character has of herself. Those that are unable or are known amongst their peers have to deal with a mix of fear and disgust. Now if one chose to be augmented, I’m sure they milk that advantage, which makes it harder for those who just want to live in peace to not receive questioning looks.
There’s not a ton more to say in regards to cyborgs, but the entire lowerclass has a unique feel as well. And by lower, I mean slums. Many are just as ambitious as the Lunars, seeing the world as an opportunity for them alone to rise above the grimy streets of New Beijing. Some probably have a superiority complex, treating cyborgs and other outcasts as the lower beings they themselves are. There’s not a definitive sense of morality, just lines you can bend. Thank goodness for the good souls in this world who don’t think of themselves, but we don’t meet a bunch.
Sadly, Cinder is a fun house reflection of our world today.
Lesson from Cinder: We’re Not So Different
When viewing cultures through a wide lens, you tend to notice a lot of similarities. Let’s take my work experiences: at each job, the people I clicked with had similar relaxed manners, detailed minds, and loved to laugh. Their titles are different, the humor varied, how often we talked. Nevertheless, the things I liked in each work culture, and the people I clicked with, are pretty similar.
I didn’t even realize how close humanity and the Lunars were until I was writing this post and thinking about the book. Playing over the different scenes and thinking about how characters acted and reacted, I recognized varying levels of moral ambiguity and personal vanity. Definitely depends on the person (thank the Lord for sensible characters), but both cultures prioritized here see the same issues in varying degrees.
In a world that feels so divided, I think we forget that there’s WAY more similarities than differences. For one thing, we care about each other more than the people in Cinder. For another, we want to make a positive impact. We have different ideas on how to accomplish that, but the goal is the same. Throughout the Lunar Chronicles, we’re introduced to characters who have to put reservations and hurts aside in order to accomplish a greater purpose.
Before setting Cinder back on my shelf, I suggest we do the same. It’s difficult to interact with people you don’t agree with, but they may have an answer you’d never consider. Obviously you gotta have ground rules and connect with people who have honest motives and truthful speech, but the first step is choosing to see the similarities and listening to the differences with an open mind. You might not agree, but you’ll be closer to finding a solution that has an impact greater than you or them.
Hopping off my soapbox now. Be sure to read Cinder and the Lunar Chronicles; it truly is an incredible series. And that’s an unpaid opinion😁