History Literature / After2003

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Wilner has completely taken over Central, and the minds of most of the students' parents. And it's only a matter of time before he has the remaining students taken to Operation Turnaround. But our collective heroes (Tom, his father, his stepmother, Rebecca, her family, and Tom's remaining friend) all make tracks to someplace safe and remote.]]

* GodzillaThreshold: Our protagonists view their parents as this, believing that if things get worse, they can always call on them for help. The only reason they didn't sooner was because they ''knew'' how ugly it would get if they got their parents involved. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, the fact Wilner brainwashes them to be compliant using propaganda e-mail leaves our heroes feeling helpless that their only trump card has [[AdultsAreUseless slipped through their fingers]].]]

* ParentalBetrayal: Many, due to their having been brainwashed. [[spoiler: Silias's parents are by far the worst; they willingly send Silias to what amounts to a concentration camp.]]

* FantasticRacism: Tom suspects that part of the reason Wilner wants to brainwash and/or punish the students of Central is that he has a hatred of teenagers. Tom narrates how he finds this both a relief and a red flag. Although he can take comfort in it's nothing he did, it bothers him Wilner hates him without even knowing what kind of person Tom is.

* BigBrotherIsWatching: Referenced by name after Wilner tells Henry and his parents to meet them on the next day when they're in a totally different town.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Wilner has completely taken over Central, and the minds of most of the students' parents. And its only a matter of time before he has the remaining students taken to Operation Turnaround. But our collective heroes (Tom, his father, his step mother, Rebecca, her family and Tom's remaining friend) all make tracks to some place safe and remote.]]

* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: In wake of Wilner steadily taking over the school, Tom looks back on how his mother was a good mom and great problem solver in life. In his mind, if only she were alive, she would've figured out how to fight back Wilner's influence on the school.
%%* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The entire scenario of the book's premise seems to bear a passing resemblance to the Holocaust. Wilner fits the Hitler archetype while the collective teenage students act as his target. Tom and his posse leaving for some place free from Wilner's influence parallels immigration in order to avoid persecution in their own country.]]

* FantasticRacism: Tom suspects that part of the reason Wilner wants to brainwash and/or punish the students of Central is because he has a hatred of teenagers. Tom narrates how he finds this both a relief and a red flag. Although he can take comfort it's nothing he did, it bothers him Wilner hates him without even knowing what kind of person Tom is.

* GodzillaThreshold: Our protagonists view their parents as this, believing that if things get worse, they can always call on them for help. The only reason they didn't sooner was because they ''knew'' how ugly it would get if they got their parents involved. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, the fact Wilner brainwashes them to be compliant using propoganda e-mail leaves our heroes feeling helpless that their only trump card has [[AdultsAreUseless slipped through their fingers]].]]

* TheQuisling: It's mentioned that some students will report others. [[spoiler: Subverted with Rebecca; Tom suspects she might be one, but she was actually the grafitti artist.]]

%%* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The entire scenario of the book's premise seems to bear a passing resemblance to the Holocaust. Wilner feets the Hitler archetype while the collective teenage students act as his target. Tom and his posse leaving for some place free from Wilner's influence parallels immigration in order to avoid persecution in their own country.]]
* DomesticAbuse: Strongly implied. Tom's father's girlfriend works selling flowers and plants and personally met Wilner's wife. But not long ago, she witnessed as Wilner forced his sobbing wife to return the flowers, disgusted at his controlling behavior.

* AdultFear: Imagine being all these kids parents and [[spoiler: (via a stream of e-mails) being brainwashed to comply with handing your child over to a concentration camp. It's implied that it eventually wears off afterwards to the point of MyGodWhatHaveIDone.]]

* GodzillaThreshold: Our protagonists view their parents as this, believing that if things get worse, they can always call on them for help. The only reason they didn't sooner was because they ''knew'' how ugly it would get if they got their parents involved. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, the fact Wilner brainwashes them to be compliant using propoganda e-mail leaves our heroes feeling helpless that their only trump card has slipped through their fingers.]]

* GodzillaThreshhold: Our protagonists view their parents as this, believing that if things get worse, they can always call on them for help. The only reason they didn't sooner was because they ''knew'' how ugly it would get if they got their parents involved. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, the fact Wilner brainwashes them to be compliant using propoganda e-mail leaves our heroes feeling helpless that their only trump card has slipped through their fingers.]]

* AdultFear: Imagine

* DomesticAbuse: Strongly implied.

* FantasticRacism:

* GodzillaThreshhold: Our protagonists view their parents as this, believing that if

* {{Brainwashed}}: The parents are brainwashed into thinking Wilner's security measures are justified by his emails.
%%* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill: Wilner and his allies don't believe that teenagers are capable of making decisions for themselves.

* ParentalBetrayal: Many, due to their having been brainwashed. [[spoiler: Silias's parents are by far the worst; they willingly send Silias to a virtual concentration camp.]]
* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: The school slowly starts to try to brainwash the students. One of the protagonist's friends points out that the documentary playing on the bus that day is on UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and was stating that the atom bombs were dropped on Japanese ''wilderness areas''. He says, "Dude, Listen to that. I don't think that's true." followed by another friend asking, "How stupid ''were'' we?"

%%* TheEvilsOfFreeWill

%%* BigBrotherIsWatching: [[ParanoiaFuel Hoo boy...]]
%%* {{Brainwashed}}: The parents.

%%* LovableJock: Many of the main characters.

* ParentalBetrayal: Many, due to their having been brainwashed.

* TheQuisling: It's mentioned that some students will report others.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

--> ''School has become a Prison. No one Knows why. There's no way to stop it.''
--> -the back cover
''After'' is a Young Adult book written by Francine Prose.

Tom is a sophomore at Central High, one of the “smart jocks” a normal guy at a normal school. And during math class, that normalcy shatters. A school the next town over is shot up by angry students, and in the wake of this tragedy, school at Central begins to change. A Grief and Crisis counselor, Dr Willner, takes over, instituting new rules at every turn. Metal detectors, 'random searches', a ban on things like Chewing Gum, hats, even the color red. At first the students make their compromises, but when those that do not comply begin to vanish, Tom realizes that nothing good can come of sacrificing freedom for safety.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: The school slowly starts to try to brainwash the students. One of the protagonist's friends points out that the documentary playing on the bus that day is on World War II, and was stating that the atom bombs were dropped on Japanese ''wilderness areas''. He says, "Dude, Listen to that. I don't think that's true." followed by another friend asking, "How stupid ''were'' we?"

* ReleasedToElsewhere: Any students who try to fight back get sent to "Operation Turnaround".

----

* ANaziByAnyOtherName
* BigBrotherIsWatching: [[ParanoiaFuel Hoo boy...]]
* {{Brainwashed}}: The parents.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything
* TheEvilsOfFreeWill

* LovableJock: Many of the main characters.

* OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Most of the protagonists.

* InsaneTrollLogic: The new rules; as things get progressively worse, the school begins banning anything that could possibly be construed as rebellious, surveying everything students do, and even sending rebels to [[ReleasedToElsewhere "Operation Turnaround"]]...all while claiming that it's for their own good.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: The school slowly starts to try to brainwash the students. One of the protagonist's friends points out that the documentary playing on the bus that day is on World War II, and was stating that the atom bombs were dropped on Japanese ''wilderness areas''. He says, " Dude, Listen to that. I don't think that's true." followed by another friend asking, "How stupid ''were'' we?"

* TheStoner: Silas.[[ReleasedToElsewhere Which doesn't end well for him...]]

* TheQuisling

* TheStoner: Silas.

* BigBrotherIsWatching

* InsaneTrollLogic: Many of the new rules fall under this.

* ReleasedToElsewhere: Any students who try to fight back.

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: The school slowly starts to try to brainwash the students. One of the protagonist's friends points out that the documentary playing on the bus that day is on World War II, and was stating that the atom bombs were dropped on Japanese ''wilderness areas''. He says, " Dude, Listen to that. I don't think that's true" followed by another friend asking, "How stupid ''were'' we?"

* PoliticallyCorrectHistory: the school slowly starts to try to brainwash the students. One of the protagonist's friends points out that the documentary playing on the bus that day is on World War II, and was stating that the atom bombs were dropped on Japanese ''wilderness areas''. He says, " Dude, Listen to that. I don't think that's true." followed by another friend asking, "How stupid ''were'' we?"

* LoveableJock: Many of the main characters.

* ParanoiaFuel: The rules are always changing, break one and it's a one way ticket to 'Operation Turnaround'[read: your grave]. What might some of these rules be? Did you have a cell phone on your person at school? What about gum? Anything red? Did you eat lunch alone? Oh, and Big Brother's watching you. And by watching you, I mean ''really'' watching you. Yes, even 50 miles away. Remember your sweet history teacher? The one who didn't report that sweet, A++ girl who broke a rule? Yeah, she had a "Health Emergency". And don't expect your parents to help you, they've been brainwashed. Everything is for your own good. And they could come for you at any time- right in the middle of a normal school day, even if you've done nothing wrong. Have fun at school, dear.

!!Provides examples Of: