How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Told you before. We didn't have a choice. Government wanted it. You can't tell the Government no." (1.6)
Well, you can tell them no. But they really, really won't like it—and you really, really won't like their response. Only a few paragraphs into the book, we're already getting a pretty good picture of who runs the show.
Quote #2
"Then they started running all that on TV about the Population Police, how the Population Police had ways of finding out everything, how they'd do anything to enforce the law." (2.34)
Striking fear into the hearts of the people is an excellent way of controlling their lives. And propaganda is everyone's favorite tool—especially when you have to watch.
Quote #3
Usually the Garners' mail was just bills or thin envelopes carrying curt orders from the Government about how much corn to plant, which fertilizer to use, and where to take their crop when it was harvested. (5.3)
Gee, who would you trust to run a farm: a family that's been farming for generations, or the Government? Luke's family might have been working the land for decades, but in this world experience counts for nothing and authority counts for everything. This is a perfect example of the totality of totalitarianism.
Quote #4
Luke watched in amazement. He'd never talked on a phone. His parents had told him the Government could trace calls, could tell if a voice on a phone was from a person who was allowed to exist or not. (15.15)
Hm, this doesn't really sound so far-fetched. Whether it's true or not, fear of Big Brother keeps people on their toes. Luke's family certainly believes it and aren't taking any chances.
Quote #5
"That means they made sure I was a girl. Doctors can do that, you know, but the Government outlawed the procedure because they were afraid it'd throw the population even more out of whack." (16.43)
Okay, this one's a little tricky. We're definitely a big fat "no" on controlling family size, but we're not sure letting people pick the sex of their baby is such a great idea, either. Mother Nature does a pretty good job of making sure it comes out just about even, anyway.
Quote #6
He remembered reading something about junk food in one of the books in the attic and asking his mother about it. She'd explained that it was something people used to eat all the time, until the Government shut down the factories that made it. (17.36)
The Government telling people what to eat? That sounds familiar. Luke doesn't find out why the factories were shut down but we can reasonably guestimate that it had something to do with the Government needing to make everyone as sad and depressed as possible, plus hating delicious food and being all around fun-killers.
Quote #7
"Oh," Jen said. "Does he think the Government would actually let him do that?"
"I guess so," Luke said. "Why wouldn't they?"
Jen shrugged. "Why does the Government do anything?" (20.6-8)
By now, we all know that the Government does whatever they want, whenever they want with no regard for anyone who could be affected. We know it, Jen knows it, Luke is learning it—and we get the feeling a lot of other people out in the world know it, too. Seems like the time just might be ripe for revolution.
Quote #8
In February, Dad got the letter from the Government forbidding him from trying to grow anything indoors. (21.1)
Wha?? This is the most shocking piece of news … Oh wait. Nope. This is entirely unsurprising. The Government doesn't want people to strike out on their own to do something they might actually benefit from. No self-starters or innovators in this world: the more that people depend on the Government, the more power the Government has.
Quote #9
"The truth," Jen's dad muttered, catching onto those two words as though Luke had thrown him a lifeline. He recovered quickly. "Nobody really knows. There have been too many lies for too long. Our Government is totalitarian, and totalitarian governments never like truth." (28.26)
Knowledge is power, which helps us see exactly how not powerful Luke and his family are. They're kept ignorant, poor, and easy to manipulate. Well, until now.
Quote #10
"But the Population Law became General Sherwood's proudest accomplishment. That's why even Barons aren't exempt. He points to that and says, 'See how much control I have over my people's lives'." (28.39)
Gee, some people really let power go to their heads. This is a good clue to help us understand the totalitarian structure of Luke's world: government by the powerful for the even more powerful. Yuck. No thanks.
Quote #11
Maybe there was something smaller and slower he could do. Studying ways to grow more food, so no one would go hungry, no matter how many kids people had. Or changing the Government so that farmers were allowed to raise pigs or use hydroponics, and ordinary people, not just Barons, could have better lives. (29.69)
Luke has a dream, just like any other guy. And we have an inkling that the Government isn't going to like that, especially since Luke's idea of opposing the Government involves a lot more than rallies or protests. Rather, Luke has some great ideas for reform.