Eventually, when Luke takes on the identity - and therefore the social status - of a Baron child, he plans to use this new privilege to create a world in which Jen's dream of freeing the Shadow Children can come true. Perhaps because of her privileged upbringing, Jen insists on staging a rally in which Shadow Children can demand recognition from the Government, but Luke insists that he doesn't have the power to change history. However, the marginal status of Luke's family allows them certain privileges because they're able to evade Government detection - for example, they eat meat, which is a rare commodity for the general population.Īs the friendship between Jen and Luke grows, they sometimes struggle to connect in light of their vastly different social status. In contrast, Jen's family lives in a large house in a new neighborhood, and they spend a large amount of money on expensive sports equipment. Their meals are simple, their clothing and furniture are patched and worn, they have few pieces of expensive technology, and they worry about how to make ends meet when the Government forbids them from raising hogs. The author gives many clues to suggest that Luke's family does not have much money. Overall, the Government's inconsistency in enforcing rules and establishing its power makes it more frightening, since it's not clear which actions will result in detection and death. It is also able to track Luke's location at Jen's house when he sends a message to the now-defunct chatroom for Shadow Children, and it is only the intervention of Jen's father that is able to save him. However, the Government still possesses the power to kill Jen and her fellow protesting Shadow Children. She is able to connect with other Shadow Children through the internet, and they even go shopping with her mother. However, when Luke meets Jen, she introduces him to the fact that the massive governmental apparatus is actually quite clunky and inept. Luke's family believes that the government possesses the power to watch citizens through televisions and computers, and they are careful to hide Luke's existence even from extended family members and neighbors. The term for this kind of political rule is totalitarianism: the Government controls every aspect of its citizens' lives. In the world of the novel, the Government controls where its citizens can live, what foods they can eat, and even how many children its citizens can have. However, her courage also inspires Luke to take the more calculated risk of obtaining fake identification and starting a new life as the adopted child of a Baron family. She refuses the more common path of obtaining fake identification, and she organizes a group of Shadow Children to stage a protest in front of the President's house, saying that if they came out into the open there would be too many of them to kill.Įventually, Jen's emphasis on freedom over safety results in her death at the hands of the Government after she stages a protest. She does things that even Luke thinks are dangerous, such as pressing her face to the window or sneaking out to go shopping with her mother. Jen, on the other hand, emphasizes freedom over risk. This increasing helplessness pushes Luke to take the enormous risk of making contact with the Sports family's child. Luke's family emphasizes safety over freedom, and, in a series of increasingly restrictive regulations, they forbid Luke to go outside, sit at the dinner table, and spend time with other family members. Many characters in the book have to make the choice between freedom and safety. Throughout the book, the author suggests that familial love can help people resist a corrupt government. Even though he is a member of the Government and cannot publicly acknowledge his third child, it is because of his love for Jen that her father obtains a fake ID for Luke, because he also cared about Jen. Even Luke's brothers, who constantly tease him, keep the secret of their brother's existence.Īnother example of familial love occurs between Jen and her step-father. Luke's parents, especially his mother, loved him so much that they defied the law of the land in order to give birth to him and raise him. One theme of the book is the love between family members.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |