Imagine you’re illegal; your very existence is against the law. You have to stay home all day, for the rest of your life. You can’t go outside or even in any rooms with windows. If the police find you, you’re dead. The thought of this life is fearsome to most people, but this was what happened to hundreds of kids in Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix. In this future America, our country had befallen to hard times and overpopulation, so the government made a law that each family could have only two children and if any more were born, they were killed. Despite this law, there were “third children” who live in fear and isolation. But there was one illegal that would not be afraid, the high class, Jennifer “Jen” Talbot. This young girl portrayed leadership characteristics that were absent elsewhere in the novel. She was highly optimistic and had a talent for bringing people together. …show more content…
She was up beat and confident. When she was planning the rally at the White House she told Luke that she and the other third children “won’t leave them alone until they give us the same rights”. Luke thought Jen was crazy but she really believed she could do it. Being optimistic is key when you’re trying to be a leader. No one wants to be led by someone who thinks that the group is incompetent.

Jen also had the ability to bring people together to work towards something. She united masses of kids to fight for her cause and join her rally. Even though most of her Internet friends didn’t show up to the protest, she still got her word across to a great number of hidden children. She “had contact with eight hundred kids.” The whole point of leadership is encouraging people and guiding people to accomplish a task. Part of that is to unite the people so they can work together. To get anything done, people must band together, and Jen knew that was only way her rally would