The Declaration (4)

'He what?' Mrs Pincent demanded, her knuckles whitening visibly as her fingers clenched into fists over her desk. 'What?' Anna swallowed desperately. She couldn't tell her. For the first time in her life, she couldn't tell Mrs Pincent what she wanted to know. 'He said he got caught in Essex,' she said eventually. 'He said his parents hadn't told him about the Declaration and that he was sick of hiding all the time.'...But instead of shouting at her for her insolence, or telling her that Peter deserved to rot in Solitary, Mrs Pincent frowned, then stood up. 'Peter needs some time to think about his role in this world,' she said thoughtfully...'You understand your place in the world, you understand the debt that you owe to Mother Nature,' Mrs Pincent continued. 'But Peter does not think of himself as a Surplus. He sees himself as something better, as if he has a rightful place in this world.' Mrs Pincent paused, and as she did so, Anna noticed the familiar venom creep back into her eyes. Striding back to her chair, Mrs Pincent smacked her hand down on the desk. 'Peter is a danger to the other Surpluses, and a danger to this earth,' she said, her voice now harsher. 'That's why he's in Solitary. I won't allow anyone to mention that boy's name until we rid him of his illicit thoughts. Until I am sure that I have fulfilled my duty and that he understands the truth, I cannot risk him contaminating the rest of you.' (pg. 120-122)

Mrs. Pincent’s tone when speaking to Anna in this specific part of the novel is sincere and comforting. She wants Anna to feel comfortable around her and gain her trust in order for Mrs. Pincent to know Peter’s true meaning for being in the institution. All her life, Anna has been indoctrinated by Mrs. Pincent’s words, telling her which Surpluses misbehave and are disobedient. Mrs. Pincent sincerely interrogates Anna into exposing Peter; however, it does not work because Anna has been influenced by Peter and refuses to tell her the truth. As represented by Mrs. Pincent, the government creates a false bond with their people to gain their confidence and enter their minds.

The government is run by greed because they want all the power to themselves: the more people they control, the more power they have. They fear people like Peter who interfere with their master plan and “contaminate” the minds of the Surplus children. “Peter is a danger” because he makes the children see the truth of their corrupt government and how the government manipulates the minds of the children. Peter has already spoken to Anna about the truths of the government. He has gotten into her mind and has made her know what really is going on. Peter’s influence on Anna is great because he has given her the courage to disobey the commands of Mrs. Pincent. Anna lied to her about Peter’s purpose in Grange Hall by appearing to be oblivious to what Mrs. Pincent asks for. There is always at least one person in society that understands what is happening and knows the difference between what is good and what is bad. In this case, it is Peter preaching his thoughts and his wisdom to Anna so she can escape the horrors of their society.