There's no shortage of bullies in The Wild Children. We see Soviet soldiers who intimidate regular people for kicks and giggles. We see orphanage directors who abuse the children they're supposed to protect. And we see governmental officials who would rather citizens starve than admit that they were wrong. Although the world depicted in The Wild Children seems wildly different than the one we live in today, we can still learn a lot from the abuses of power depicted in the novel.
Questions About Power
- Why are Soviet children's homes so bad? How does this reflect society? What does it accomplish (if anything)?
- Is Peter a good leader? Explain.
- In your opinion, why does the government arrest Alex's family?
- In what ways do soldiers abuse their power over regular citizens in the novel?
Chew on This
To be honest, Peter might be the only example of a leader in The Wild Children who does not abuse his power.
By the end of the novel, it becomes obvious that the problem with the Soviet Union isn't necessarily about politics or economics—it's about the way that the powerful abuse the powerless.