What Is The Theme Of Delirium By Lauren Oliver

In Delirium by Lauren Oliver, the story follows Lena Haloway before her cure. This cure removes the part of your brain that feels love, which is considered a crime and a disease in her society. Following the procedure, Lena will have her spouse, occupation, and number of children chosen for her. Yet she’s okay with that. At first, to her, it means a life without pain, or unpredictability. Until she meets Alex. Everything changes when she falls in love with and ultimately discovers the oppression of her government. The main opposition of Delirium would be the society that she is born into. It is one where emotions, personal expression, and opinions are dangerous. Your entire life is planned for you, and any type of decision you make is strictly monitored. All media is censored, with only subjects deemed appropriate available to the public. This restricts what you watch, what you see on the news, the music you listen to, and what you learn in school. Additionally, the government oppresses its people by mandating that everyone undergo “the cure” by the age of 18. This procedure removes the emotion of love, and also drastically changes your personality. Yet because love is considered a disease, society has been taught that the procedure is worth this risk.
Those who live outside of these designated communities in “the Wilds” are dubbed “invalids”. In the past, the government had tried to eradicate the invalids by bombing them, executing them, or imprisoning them if captured. An enormous electrified fence separates the Wilds and verified communities. “Sympathizers” are those who either assist invalids, feel the cure is wrong, or feel as though invalids are being persecuted. Anyone who has an opinion that differs from that of society or the government are considered sympathizers, and are most often imprisoned or