Literary Devices in Among the Hidden
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
We may not know the exact where and when of Among the Hidden since Haddix intentionally left that bit of information out, but setting is much more than the latitude, longitude, and time table of a...
Narrator Point of View
Luke Garner has nothing to hide from us—or at least nothing to hide from the narrator, who hides nothing from us. The key ingredient in this narration is that it focuses on Luke's innermost thoug...
Genre
That's a whole lot of genre, so let's take this one at a time:(1) The mystery of the face in the window sets up Luke for the adventure of his life. From the moment Luke sees the child's face, he is...
Tone
Ever play a game of Hide and Seek and you know you've got a killer hiding spot but then the Seeker comes dangerously close and you're holding your breath just so they won't hear you and you won't g...
Writing Style
With not going to school, watching TV, or having any friends, Luke has a lot (and we mean a lot) of time to himself to sit and think. And because the book's narrator is so close to Luke, Haddix wri...
What's Up With the Title?
Let's take it one word at a time, which is always the best way to do this kind of thing:Among. Okay, not much to know yet, but it's kind of cool how this title is just chucking us right in the midd...
What's Up With the Ending?
Ever so dramatically, Luke glances back at his home as Mr. Talbot drives him away. When he turns around, Bam! He's Lee Grant.Luke or Lee or whoever you want to call him, is moving forward literally...
Tough-o-Meter
You don't need to stay Among the Hidden when it comes to this book. (Too much?) Sure, you might encounter a new word every once in a while, but nothing that a handy dictionary won't see you through...
Plot Analysis
There Goes the NeighborhoodWhen the novel opens, Luke Garner—who we quickly learn is an illegal third child—spends most of his days hanging at home with his mom, protected by the woods that sur...
Trivia
Margaret Peterson Haddix has two kids: a daughter, Meredith and a son, Connor. No additional hidden children have yet been confirmed.(source)Haddix didn't intend for Among the Hidden to start off t...
Allusions
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (15.31)Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island (19.12)Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death" (22.24)Children's Crusade (27.47) could be a...