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Lev
Title
The clapper who didn't clap
Biographical Information
Full name: Levi Jedediah Tashi'ne
Age: 14
Status: Alive
Alias:

Lev Calder
Lev Garrity
Mahpee Kinkajou

Nickname/s:

Lev
Fry

Gender: Male
Hair color: Pale brown, almost blond
Eye color: Blue
Affiliation
Unwind Standing:

Ineligible for unwinding

Family:

Marcus Calder (brother)
Tashi'nes (adoptive family)

Character Information
Appears in:

Unwind
UnStrung
UnWholly
UnSouled
UnDivided

Lev Tashi'ne, still more popularly known as Lev Calder, and officially known as Levi Tashi'ne, is a friend of Connor Lassiter and Risa Ward, a former tithe and clapper who became a major figure against unwinding.

History

Not much is known about Lev's history. All that is known is that he is very religious, has nine other siblings (he is the youngest at thirteen; Marcus, his brother, is the oldest at twenty-eight), and he is the tenth child - which is why he is a tithe. He is seen as athletic, being on the baseball league. His personality changes throughout the book. (See Personality for more details)

Unwind

Lev is a tithe at the beginning of the story. He is on his way to the harvest camp when a "crazed animal-looking boy" came running towards his car and picked him up and threw him out. Lev offered to give Connor his car and wallet if he let him go, but Connor did not respond. Lev is also the boy that Connor Lassiter - the "Akron AWOL" - held hostage. He was angry at first but soon has grown to be Connor's friend. Lev, Connor, and Risa travel together throughout the story. They depart when Lev tattletales on Connor and Risa by telling the principal of the school that they were hiding in that "two runaway unwinds kidnapped him". He feels guilty for doing so and tries to run after them. He even pulls the fire alarm to the school to turn attention away from Connor and Risa. That is when he discovers that he can actually break rules.

Connor and Risa get away and Lev is left to wander on his own. The next chapters are on Connor and Risa and them meeting Hannah and Sonia. After that, Lev has found a new partner to travel with - Cyrus Finch - also known as CyFi. He gives Lev the nickname "Fry" because of his short stature. The two befriend each other and Lev seems to change in the amount of time they spend together. For example, he becomes rather violent and is no longer afraid to break the rules or get dirty. He doesn't mind tricking people or doing things that he normally would not - he even ends up pawning a tradershop owner into giving him money for a diamond bracelet - which probably would be the cost of around a thousand. He offers to sell it at four hundred, knocks the owner out, takes all the money in the safe (which is the around the same amount of money that the diamond bracelet costs) and leaves the diamond bracelet in the safe - indicating that, although Lev tricked the trader, he still was honest and gave the diamond bracelet. He then helps CyTy travel to Tyler's home so that he can stop bothering CyFi.

After that, Lev and Cyrus depart. The next chapter featuring Lev is in the Graveyard. It tells not where he came from or what he did at that time. He seems to also have missed Connor and the two hug each other like old friends. Lev tells everybody that he was to be unwound because of armed robbery, which is untrue. On the first night, he meets with Cleaver, Mai, and Blaine and tells that 'he wants in'. He also said that a girl named Julie-Ann (whom he was assumed to have met on his way to the Graveyard), who told him to meet them. He also says that he wants to know and believe in what they believe in. He becomes a clapper after that and takes a job (that supposedly was in Alaska) so that he can go to a harvest camp and blow it up.

He, Mai, and Blaine go to the Happy Jack Harvest camp. Lev is scheduled to be tithed. He meets Connor there again and is upset when he realizes that he has unintentionally told Mai and Blaine to blow up the Chop Shop - during the time Connor is scheduled to be unwound. He tries to stop them but it is too late. This shows that he and Connor are good friends.

He confesses to being a clapper (after being the only one of the three who survived; Cleaver was beaten in the graveyard) to the police when they showed up. Before they did so, he helped some people who had been hurt by the explosion escape. He helps carry Connor (he shoots him with a tranq so that he no longer will be in much pain, then takes him to the hospital) and Risa. The cops and up taking him away.

At the end of the book, Lev is in a sealed room. His arms are spread away from each other and covered up so that he cannot move them. Pastor Dan visits him and tells him about what has happened. He is dressed in ordinary clothes - jeans and a plaid button-up - which confuses Lev. Pastor Dan explains to Lev that he resigned from his position as Church Pastor. He tells Lev that he will be in Juvey for a while, then under house arrest. Lev asks if he will be unwound afterward, but Pastor Dan tells him that clappers are never to be unwound - as the explosives that they inject into their bloodstream is never really all washed out, despite that they have gotten most of it out of Lev's blood. Lev asks, "Which house?" Pastor Dan sadly tells Lev that the Juvey-cops offered to give him back to his parents, but they refused. Lev is upset but not shocked, showing that he still wishes that his parents cared for him - but he isn't strung out about it. Pastor Dan also explains that Marcus, Lev's older brother, is trying to get custody of him. Lev tells him that his parents also disowned Marcus and Marcus is the only one who cared enough to stand up to him, so he is in good hands.

Pastor Dan also explains to Lev that he never lost his faith; he just does not want to believe in a God that condoned human tithing. Lev responds, "You think maybe I can believe in that God, too?"

UnWholly

Lev first appears in the book when he is interviewing a boy in detention as part of his public service for his sentence. The boy recognizes him, as many people do since he became famous, as the clapper who didn't clap. To keep him from becoming the national voice against unwinding, he is gotten out of the news as quickly as possible and sentenced to disappear. Lev wasn't allowed to speak in public about unwinding, tithing, or Happy Jack.

Personality

Growing up in a rich family, thinking his state as his family's tithe is good, Lev grew to be quite spoiled and used to getting what he wants, and better. He was once also very religious and, since he was raised like any other tithe, with their parents and priests teaching them, he strongly believed that his destiny as a tithe is good. His personality greatly changes throughout the story.

At the beginning of Unwind, he is proud and happy about being a tithe, except the occasional fear and second thoughts, and refuses to be called an 'unwind', pretty much like other tithes who consider themselves at a higher state than the Unwinds, who they call the 'terribles'. He has known and accepted that he was to be unwound because of Pastor Dan.

Lev is also naive in the beginning. Eventually, he learns to be intelligent street-wise as he finds ways to escape from Connor and Risa's clutches and also knows that getting on their good side might help him escape. He also eventually learned more street habits from CyFi.

He also used to think very wrongly of breaking rules and regulations, but eventually learns that he must if he is to survive. He also used to dislike getting dirty and constantly wore white clothes, which later also changed.

At one point, he began feeling resentful towards his parents and others who have decided to get their children Unwound. Because of his growing hatred for the world, he decides to become a clapper, but, eventually, his past values overwhelmed his negative emotions.

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Between Mai and Blaine, Lev seems the most controlled and calm. He also seems to be the most respectable; as he is able to command both of them to do as he wishes. Despite that his 'cause is chaos' and he does in fact, tell Mai and Blaine to blow up the Chop Shop (he wouldn't have if he knew that Connor was about to be unwound inside), he still helps those who have suffered from the explosion. He helps Risa and Connor escape from the rubble and brings them to the hospital. He also is the only clapper who survived - not to mention, he is the guilty of what he had done (or intended to do) and turns himself in to the police.

At the end of the book, he speaks with Pastor Dan again. He is angry at him but shocked when he finds out Pastor Dan resigns from his position as the Church Pastor. He even states that he could not see Pastor Dan as anything else than "Pastor Dan". He tells Pastor Dan that he would also like to believe in a God that did not condone human tithing or unwinding.

He was also said to be quite sporty and smart, being the MVP in their baseball team's little league and getting straight As.

Physical appearance

Levi is described as "an angelic boy" with blond hair and blue eyes. He used to wear white a lot, like other tithes, but after he ventured with CyFi, he no longer wished to wear the color as it only reminded him of how he was raised to be tithed.

By UnWholly, he has kept his hair long. His eyes give off a tired look that makes him appear older as if he has seen more things than anyone ought to see at that age, which he has.

Relationships

Friends

Pastor Dan

Lev and Pastor Dan seem to be good friends. Pastor Dan, besides Marcus, also did not approve of his tithing. However, he did not speak about his opinions, and actually encouraged Lev and praised him for it when he was younger. Despite this, when Connor had raced across the highway (causing cars to bump into each other and halt), Pastor Dan shouted to Lev, "RUN!" confusing him. This meant that Pastor Dan didn't believe in the morals he was teaching Lev and did not approve of human tithing. At the end of the story, he also tells Lev that he resigned from his position as Pastor at the Church. He tells Lev that he has not lost his faith and still very much believes in God, but he does not believe in a God that condones human tithing. Lev asks him if he can believe in the same God as well. He was devastated when Pastor Dan was killed by the clapper sent in retribution for Lev's betrayal and took on his last name as remembrance.

Connor Lassiter

Lev called Connor his "truest - and maybe only - friend." They got off to a rough start, but ever since Lev ran away, the two have missed each other. Connor was upset that he risked his life to save a boy who didn't want to be saved, and was also upset because he knew (or at least, thought) that Lev had already been unwound. Lev is also guilty that he turned the two in. When they remeet each other, Lev and Connor embrace each other, disregarding what has happened in the past. Lev also seems to be worried when Mai and Blaine blew up the Chop Shop because Connor was in it.

Cyrus Finch

Cyrus and Lev are very good friends. Lev is the only one who understands CyFi and helps him through what he is going through. Despite that CyFi sometimes annoys Lev by his improper grammar and him stealing things and his panic attacks, Lev does not leave him. He says that he might not be sane, which is why he isn't leaving him. He helps him calm down when he panics and also helps Cyrus calm Tyler down. CyFi and Lev seem to have a mentor-apprentice or a brother-brother relationship, as CyFi treats him like a younger brother - he calls him "Fry", teaches him how to get food without stealing it or taking it from the garbage, etc. Lev also takes care of Cy by selling a diamond bracelet for money for the two of them, calming him down, and helping him out.

Risa Ward

Risa is one of the unwinds who kidnapped Lev, the other being Connor. They don't speak much to each other, but she doesn't trust him at first (she fake-fought with Connor to test Lev if he would leave while they were 'distracted'). She also seems to be rather protective over him, as she got angry when Alexis called him cute. This just might be because she was pretending Lev was her younger brother and actually started believing it herself. She might have been worried that Alexis would flirt with Lev and get pregnant yet again. Risa is also the only one to notice that there's something wrong with Lev, as he takes a job in Alaska. Lev seems to be worried about Risa when Mai and Blaine blow up the Chop Shop, as he carries Risa to the hospital.

Miracolina

When Lev first met Miracolina at the Cavenaugh mansion, she despised him. Like him once, Miracolina was dedicated to her duties as her family's tithe and was determined to be unwound. Lev tries to convince her that tithing is wrong. When Miracolina tries to escape Cavenaugh, Lev comes with her and the two of them make their way to Graveyard. Over the course of their journey, they become close friends. They are separated once they reach the Graveyard. Lev is later shown to be harboring romantic feelings towards Miracolina in UnSouled.

Julie-Ann

Julie-Ann was a girl that Lev met when he and Cyrus departed; specifically in Colorado. She told him to go to the Graveyard and meet Mai, Blaine, and Cleaver. Not much is known about her, except that she and Lev probably befriended each other and were acquaintances, and that they trust each other (because Lev agreed to find Mai, Blaine, and Cleaver). She most likely was a clapper, due to the fact that she was telling Lev to go to a group of clappers, and persuaded him into wanting to believe what they believed in.

Mai and Blaine

Not much is known about the relationship between Mai and Blaine. They all are clappers, however, and are angry at the world. Lev seems to have more control over Blaine and seems to get annoyed with him a lot. Lev and Mai don't speak as much, but Mai does not really trust Lev to be 'one of them' at first.

Cleaver

Lev and Cleaver don't speak much. They share the same interest: chaos and Cleaver helps him become a clapper and accepts him into their group.

Family

Marcus Calder

Marcus is Lev's oldest brother at twenty-eight. He is the only one that seems to really care about how Lev is being tithed, having stood up for him at his tithing party. He also fights for Lev's custody at the end of the story, when Lev's parents refuse to take him back. Marcus has also been disowned by his parents.

Parents

Not much is known about the relationship between Lev and his parents, except it isn't anything like Connor and his parents. Lev and his parents seem to maintain a good relationship, except during the end, when his parents disown him for being a clapper. They seem to be rather reluctant about giving him up as a sacrifice at the beginning of the story, but not enough to refuse to do so or to protest.

Siblings

Lev has five natural siblings: one who was adopted, and three (two boys and one girl) came by stork. Marcus is the oldest and plays a big part in Lev's life. Lev is the youngest all of his siblings.

Trivia

  • Levi is pronounced like the jean brand, Lev is pronounced like "levitate".[1]
  • Lev was one of the characters that stuck with author Neal Shusterman long before finishing writing his story.[2]
  • Neal Shusterman's favorite Lev moment is when he snaps when CyFi is begging not to be unwound, and Lev realizes that the kid in CyFi’s brain doesn’t know he’s already been unwound. He also loved Lev's relationship with Miracolina in UnWholly.[3]

References

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