The Resisters Summary
Gish Jen

The Resisters Overview

Styled as a satirical dystopian novel, Jen’s The Resisters presents a dark future ruled by corporatized-governments and hyper-automation. At its center are the Cannon-Chastanets, a mixed-race family who belong to the country’s underclass in which consumption determines one’s value above anything else. Narrated from the perspective of her bookish father, the story follows Gwen, whose prodigious talent threatens to turn her and her family into automated tokens for their country’s corrupt system. Leading toward a climactic ending at the Olympic Games, the novel examines themes of inequality, justice, fate, and free will.