Among the Betrayed by Margaret Haddix

Culture is different for everyone in the world. I think culture is way of life, following in someone’s footsteps or a tradition passed down. Like yours and mine and so is Nina’s, the main character in “Among the Betrayed” by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Nina gets captured by the population police and is sent to the prison, where she soon is told by the “Hating man” to betray Percy, Matthias, and Alia. She considers it but she has a limited amount of time to do so before the three kids and herself is killed. Then she gets a chance to escape after Mack gets poisoned. Nina questions herself on whether to break out of the prison alone or to go with the three kids she supposed to be betraying. “If Nina left on her own, without a single look back, she’d be sending Percy, Matthias, and Alia to their death” (Haddix 70). Nina does not know if she’s doing the right thing by helping these kids and herself by escaping the prison and out to freedom but she takes that chance.

To be able to trust anyone in her situation would be hard. I know I would be confused on my part whether to choose myself or others. Many people have their own ways of living and making decisions and told by peers or family on what to do. I was always told to trust your instincts and do what is right. In this scenario, it would take me a while to figure out what to do, but being able to trust three kids you know nothing about, would make you think just to go on and save yourself. Nina’s culture is different from mine because she has no one but herself as of now and I have my family and friends to look up to and be able to get help. Nina thinks back on her aunt and what she had because she doubts she is going to see them again. What would you have to lose at this point anyways?

Renee H., Class of ’13