Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Among the Hidden, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Propaganda, Fear, and Control
Privilege, Wealth, and Perspective
Protest and Resistance
Coming of Age, Independence, and Family
Summary
Analysis
Luke screams. Totally out of control, he snatches the gun from Jen’s dad and points it at him. Carefully, Jen’s dad says it’d be nice to die and not have to grieve for Jen anymore, but he is on Luke’s side. Luke studies Jen’s dad for a moment, wondering if he can trust him. He lowers the gun, and Jen’s dad gently puts it on the desk. Then, Jen’s dad says he doesn’t agree with the Population Police, so he works there to sabotage them from within. He explains some things that Luke doesn’t grasp, and then asks how much history Luke knows. Luke points out the books Jen gave him to read and says she also gave him some printouts. Jen’s dad says he’s heard both sides’ propaganda, but he hasn’t heard the truth.
What Jen’s dad says about working to sabotage the Population Police from within shows that Jen wasn’t correct; there are many different ways to protest, and public rallies aren’t the only way. Using his privilege and his connections, Jen’s dad is perhaps able to do more to help shadow kids than Jen’s rally did (though the novel never confirms this for sure). Jen’s dad also goes out of his way to speak to Luke like Luke is an adult capable of understanding how complex things are. This will help Luke continue to mature and learn to think critically.
Themes
Luke is confused, but Jen’s dad explains that the Government wants people to believe them, so they stretch the truth—and the people on the other side handpick their statistics to support their position. Luke snaps that Jen said the printouts were correct, but Jen’s dad says she believed what she wanted to. Swallowing hard, he says he encouraged her to read that stuff because he wanted to give her hope. He just never thought she’d go this far with that information.
It's shocking for Luke to hear first that Jen’s beloved articles weren’t correct—and then that Jen’s dad manipulated her into believing they were. But just as Luke’s parents keep Luke hidden because they believe the Government would kill him otherwise, Jen’s dad frames feeding her these articles as just another way of protecting his daughter.
Themes
Luke asks what the truth actually is—and Jen’s dad says that nobody knows. People have been lying for a long time and the Government is totalitarian, so they dislike the truth on principle. He explains that before the famines, their country believed in things like democracy and equality, but the famines led to riots over food and lots of people died. A General Sherwood came to power, and he promised law, order, and food—and technically, that’s what they got. Luke struggles to comprehend what he knows is “grown-up talk, pure and simple.”
Part of what makes what Jen’s dad is saying “grown-up talk” is that he says outright it’s unclear what the truth actually is. It’s true that the country has changed and that lots of people died during the famines and riots, but beyond that, it’s hard to say what’s true and what’s not. Luke has been raised to believe that certain things are right, certain things are wrong, and that he should believe what the Government says. Now, though, Jen’s dad is encouraging Luke to think for himself.
Themes
Luke quips that Barons got more than anyone else, which makes Jen’s dad laugh. Jen’s dad says he’s not proud of it, but the Government chose to allow some people to enjoy special privileges. He mentions junk food. It’s technically illegal, but nobody gets arrested for providing junk food to Barons—and all Government officials are Barons. Jen’s dad continues that the Government keeps everyone else near poverty because people are more willing to work that way. They help people who cooperate, which is why Luke has probably heard his parents talking about how farmers don’t lose their farms anymore. Luke wonders if his parents’ money worries are unfounded.
Bringing up junk food allows Jen’s dad to illustrate how deep the corruption goes in Luke’s society. There’s a lot to gain, he suggests, by doing something illegal if it benefits Barons—which is, perhaps, why Dad wasn’t allowed to use hydroponics, since that would benefit him. But Jen’s dad also implies that Luke’s parents probably aren’t in danger of losing their farm or becoming destitute. Luke has spent his whole life listening to his parents worry about money, so this is a major shock—perhaps they’ve been manipulated into being afraid.
Themes
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Luke points out that Barons still have to follow the Population Law, and he asks if there are actually too many people. Jen’s dad says there probably aren’t. If people hadn’t panicked and lied after the crisis, the Government might not have had to take people’s rights away. However, the Population Law was General Sherwood’s biggest accomplishment, and it allows him to say that he controls everything. Luke confirms that the law is wrong, and Jen’s dad says he believes it is. This is a relief; Luke’s existence is just illegal, not morally wrong. Maybe if he’d believed Jen entirely, he would’ve gone to the rally and died. Just as Jen’s dad offers to get Luke a fake ID by tomorrow, the Population Police knock at the door.
Again, Jen’s dad notes that it’s impossible to say whether there are too many people or not—it’s his belief that there aren’t, but that’s not a fact. However, he still suggests that taking people’s rights away by controlling their family planning decisions so extensively was wrong. This is comforting for Luke to hear, as it allows him to feel for the first time like he truly has the right to live, even if his birth was illegal. This realization helps Luke move forward and continue maturing, and it also shows him that his life—and those of other shadow kids—are worth protecting.
Themes
