The cause of this is overpopulation and a shortage of food. The government is a central part of the novel. It has a huge and negative impact on all third children. The government had such a negative impact on the children that it causes them to have thoughts such as “I’m a third child. Kill me,” because the third children will get executed if caught living (45). Haddix also includes the idea of the loss of identity and individuality. The children literally lose their identity causing Luke, the main character, to be “an imposter” (20). Being an imposter means not being allowed to say their real name, telling anyone that they are a third child, having to speak in code so they’re not caught, and more. The third children “run into hiding” because they cannot be themselves when in public, in which “they can act antisocial” (161). All of these abnormal situations, to today’s society, allow Haddix to display the horrific effect of overpopulation. Something as bizarre as the “Population Law” could take over the world, causing people to fake their
The cause of this is overpopulation and a shortage of food. The government is a central part of the novel. It has a huge and negative impact on all third children. The government had such a negative impact on the children that it causes them to have thoughts such as “I’m a third child. Kill me,” because the third children will get executed if caught living (45). Haddix also includes the idea of the loss of identity and individuality. The children literally lose their identity causing Luke, the main character, to be “an imposter” (20). Being an imposter means not being allowed to say their real name, telling anyone that they are a third child, having to speak in code so they’re not caught, and more. The third children “run into hiding” because they cannot be themselves when in public, in which “they can act antisocial” (161). All of these abnormal situations, to today’s society, allow Haddix to display the horrific effect of overpopulation. Something as bizarre as the “Population Law” could take over the world, causing people to fake their