The Last Cuentista

The Last Cuentista explores the conflict between individual and group consciousness. There is some merit to the Collective argument that individuals cause all the strife and problems in the world. Dictators and warlords are individuals bent on gaining as much advantage as they can for themselves at the expense of society as a whole. One of the Collective members articulates this philosophy succinctly when he says:

‘Without the Collective, there would only be war and famine. Our unity and agreement on all things ensures we will never return to the ways of conflict.’ He holds up his bioloaf. ‘We will never starve, because the Collective has eliminated diversity and demand for more choices’ (165).

At a later point in the story, Petra evaluates the limits of this viewpoint. She thinks it may be possible to reach the same goal of peace and prosperity without taking such drastic measures. While acknowledging the limits of the society she was born into—one that would have left her on Earth if they knew she had impaired vision—she believes that change can be achieved through embracing diversity and making peace by celebrating our differences. Moreover, she emphasizes the role of learning through history in making a better world: “It’ll be our job to remember the parts we got wrong and make it better for our children and grandchildren” (110).