Scythe (3B17)

Date: 14/10/2025

Good morning, principal, teachers and fellow students. I am Aiden Chung. Today, I am happy to introduce you all to a book – Scythe.

Let us imagine a future where humanity has conquered everything: no hunger, no disease, no war, and even no death. This is the world of the Thunderhead, a benevolent, cloud-based AI that governs society perfectly. People can "reset" their bodies to a younger age and live for centuries. But this creates a major problem: overpopulation. To address it, Scythes are the only ones who can end life – a practice called "gleaning" – to keep the population in balance.

In the story, Citra Terranova and Rowan Damisch are chosen as apprentices to Scythe Faraday, a highly honorable figure who has served for more than a century. Neither of them wants this role. Their training is not only physical but also philosophical and moral. They must master martial arts, study human history, understand the gravity of taking a life, and show respect for those they glean. They also learn to grant a "year of immunity" to the families of the decreased through their special rings. But their ultimate test is grim: only one of them will be ordained as a Scythe. The other must be gleaned by the winner. 

The book forces the characters and the readers to confront unsetting questions: What is the most ethical way to kill? Should it be random? Should some people be spared? Can killing ever be compassionate? The answers are never simple, and each Scythe embodies a different philosophy toward these questions. 

So fellow students, in a world where humanity has conquered death, what would you do? Would you devote yourself to mastering new languages, or find other ways to enjoy life? In the book, life has become stagnant and trivial. People, known as "post-mortals," are often bored, apathetic, and reckless – sometimes even jumping off buildings for entertainment – knowing that they won’t truly die. Life, once fragile and precious, has turned meaningless and mundane. 

By conquering everything that once defined the human conditions – pain, suffering, and death – society has ironically lost touch with its own humanity. Many characters are emotionally stunted. They have forgotten how to grieve, how to love deeply, and how to feel genuine joy, because there are no lows to contrast highs.

Paradoxically, it is often the Scythes who seems the most human. They feel the weight of consequence, experience profound loss, and wrestle with moral dilemmas. They are more alive because they are constantly confronted with death.

This raises the question: Is death really necessary for life to have meaning? Without the certainty of an end, does existence become hollow? The novel suggests that immortality breeds boredom, detachment, and emptiness. Gleaning, though grim, mirrors the unpredictability of mortal life and reminds people to appreciate their existence.

Here are some key points from the book:

1.      Death Gives Life Value:

Characters who have lived for centuries often appear jaded and disconnected, seeking ever-greater thrills because everyday life has lost its spark. The Scythes’ presence – a reminder of mortality – restores urgency and preciousness to life. This echoes a timeless philosophical idea: our awareness of death is what makes our choices meaningful.

2.      Desensitization:

What happens when death becomes a bureaucratic routine? The novel depicts citizens growing numb to gleaning, much like how we sometimes become desensitized to tragedies in the news. It challenges us to consider whether we should allow death to be treated so casually, or whether we must reclaim its gravity.

Ultimately, Scythe teaches us to cherish life and to embrace our true selves in order to live fully – because no one truly knows when their time will come. 

This concludes my book sharing. Thank you very much for listening!