Melina Santos

Pre IB/AP English

Minicozzi

1/29/18

Literary Essay- Enclave

​Enclave​, a dystopian novel written by Ann Aguirre, portrays an original

perspective on the future of civilizations. People are forced to live in places like enclaves,

for their safety and protection. They have to abide by many rules and regulations. This

had always been the way it was for Deuce. The government in most utopian societies lie

about almost everything, to keep the element of peace and control.

In the novel, deuce is assigned the job of a huntress, so she must protect and serve

the enclave. She was also assigned a partner called Fade. Together they were given a

task, to go and help the neighboring enclave with the monstrous creatures called freaks.

The elders, which are a form of government, told Deuce and Fade to report to them

whatever they found out about the freaks. They did what they were told. They spoke to

the elders, and said that the freaks we’re getting smarter. The elders decided not to

believe them, and keep their findings hidden from the public. The citizens of the

enclave, had no idea that the freaks were a bigger danger than they had ever been

before. If the elders had told the people of the enclave, there would be chaos and havoc.

The Enclave is an underground civilization, that consists of mostly lies and secrets.

The elders told their citizens, that if they dared to go above ground, topside, they

wouldn’t survive because everything there was deadly. They did this to prevent people
from going topside and facing the dangers that came with it. The elders said, that rain

and sun, burned your skin. Although sun has the potential to burn you, it doesn’t kill

you instantaneously. The elders told many lies and kept many secrets about the

civilization before them. They were cautious about what their people knew about the

outside world. They only knew what the elders wanted them to know. If someone found

out anything other than what the elders wanted, they could be killed, exiled, or tortured.

Of course no one the enclave found out about these indiscretions. Deuce and Fade, were

exiled for knowing too much about the freaks. They were sent topside, where they found

out all the lies the elders had said about the outside world.

Ultimately, the survival of deuce and fade lay in their own hands. They must

fight with all their might and will have to defeat some of the most dangerous things they

have ever encountered.