The Declaration

"Then one day a boy named Peter appears at the Hall, bringing with him news of the world outside, a place where people are starting to say that Longevity is bad, and that maybe people shouldn't live forever. Peter begs Anna to escape with him, but Anna's not sure who to trust..."

In the novel, The Declaration, scientists have discovered a new vaccination that allows people to never age and live forever. The people do not need to worry about dying or illnesses or anything else. However, there is a condition that comes with the gift of living forever: each person that accepts the vaccination must also accept the fact that they will never have children. People do not realize how bad this declaration is because they are taught to look down on those who had children and their children. They feel that their society is perfect when in fact their society is corrupt. The government does not permit the people to have children, and for many this is a source of happiness.

Peter is similar to Clarisse from Fahrenheit 451. They both act as a supporting character that helps the main character see the truths of their society. Peter is from "the outside world" and brings the different opinions with him when he meets Anna, the main character. He tries to gain Anna's confidence while at the same time showing her what the flaws of this society are. He teaches her that the couples who choose to have a child are not the enemies like Anna has been taught to view them as. They are actually giving the children the opportunity to see and live life. Anna changes her view of her parents and starts to thank them for bringing her into this world. She realizes that people come into this world for a natural reason. The government can not interfere with something so natural like life and birth.