Previous
Chapter 7
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
A few weeks later, Luke’s family members leave in more of a rush than usual in the morning. Once they’re gone, Luke peeks into the kitchen. It’s a mess—and Mother forgot to open the window shade. Checking that the other shade is down too, Luke puts a foot out. He hasn’t been in the kitchen in six months, and he could dance or even clean the kitchen. But the floor squeaks, so Luke hurries upstairs. He’s disgusted with himself for being such a coward, but he tells himself he’s just being cautious.
It's a sign of how difficult life is for Luke’s family, and for Mother especially, that they leave the kitchen in such a mess. Mother will just have to attend to these chores later—but for now, her job at the factory takes precedence because it’s how she earns money. Luke’s parents have trained him to be cautious and afraid. Stepping into the kitchen isn’t a simple, ordinary thing—it’s an action that could lead to his death.
Themes
Luke climbs onto a trunk so he can look out the back vent. By now the houses are all occupied and Luke has made up names for all the families. There’s the Big Car Family with their four big cars, the Birdbrain Family with their birdhouses, and the Sports Family. The Sports Family lives closest to Luke, so he has a good view of the two teenage sons’ various sports equipment in their backyard. Today, Luke has a goal as he watches: he wants to see every person in the new neighborhood leave. He counts people and cars as the families leave the neighborhood and finally, Luke knows he’s alone.
The fact that Luke has named all these families speaks to how isolated he is—making up names and stories for the new neighbors is one of the few ways he can entertain himself. This passage also highlights the coping mechanisms Luke has developed to keep himself safe; in this case, that’s knowing exactly how many people live in the neighborhood so he can know if he’s alone or not.
Themes
Luke is ecstatic. He’s never made bread before, but he’s seen Mother do it and figures it can’t be too hard. Vacuuming would be too loud, but he can do other cleaning; and he can start supper later. Housework has never seemed exciting before, but now it seems like an amazing opportunity. So Luke walks right into the kitchen, scrubs every dish, and starts bread. He even turns the radio on quietly. A few hours later, as Luke is picking lint out of the carpet, he hears a car in the driveway. It’s Dad. Suddenly, Luke is hyper aware of the radio and the smell of his bread in the oven. Crying, Luke tells Dad he was just trying to help, and he made sure nobody was at home in the neighborhood.
Recall that Luke’s brothers and dad have looked down on anything that’s considered even a little bit feminine, from accepting Mother’s affection to clothes that aren’t dirty. Luke recognizes that with his life so circumscribed, he has to look outside of what his family considers properly masculine in order to find anything to keep him entertained. Deciding to make bread and clean up also highlight how much Luke cares about his family and wants to contribute. However, he soon realizes this was a mistake: he’s putting himself in danger, and is at least inviting Dad’s anger.
Themes
Dad scolds Luke that people in the neighborhood get deliveries and have maids. Luke could argue; he knows the maids don’t come until the kids are home from school. But Dad asks what will happen if a Government inspector comes and finds bread baking in a house that’s supposed to be empty. The timer on the oven goes off. Dad gives Luke a dirty look, pulls the bread out, and tells Luke to stay hidden upstairs. Luke races up the stairs. He wants to stomp, but he can’t—it’s too loud. Just to prove to himself that he was careful enough, Luke looks out the back vent. Nobody’s in the neighborhood. But in the Sports Family’s house, Luke sees a child’s face in a window—a new face. The family already has two kids.
Dad wants to keep Luke safe from the Government, and the only way he knows how to do that is to keep Luke locked up in his room, not doing anything that might make noise or otherwise attract attention. This is heartbreaking for Luke, who desperately wants to do anything but sit in his room by himself all day. However, it seems like things might change for Luke when Luke catches sight of this other child’s face. It’s too early for Luke to tell, but this may mean there are other kids like him out there—and he may have access to new friends as a result.
Themes
Get the entire Among the Hidden LitChart as a printable PDF.
