The Children of Men
Chapter 15
by James, P. D.The chapter opens with Theo discovering a printed message from a group called the Five Fishes, demanding reforms from the authoritarian government. The demands include holding a general election, granting civil rights to Sojourners (migrant workers), abolishing the Quietus (a euthanasia program), ending deportations to the Isle of Man Penal Colony, and stopping compulsory fertility testing. The message is simple and humane, but Theo reacts with exasperation, doubting its effectiveness. He suspects Julian, a member of the group, authored it, yet believes their efforts are futile due to their lack of resources and power.
Theo reflects on the group’s unrealistic ambitions, questioning how they expect to challenge the regime without organization or public support. He acknowledges their goal of sparking dissent—such as refusing medical examinations—but sees it as meaningless in a society where hope has dwindled. The amateurish production of the message suggests the group operates clandestinely, likely with limited means. Theo doubts their secrecy can withstand scrutiny from the SSP (the state security force), further undermining their potential impact.
As he rereads the demands, Theo considers whether he could have influenced change during his time as an adviser to Xan, the Warden of England. He concludes that even then, he was powerless. The chapter delves into Theo’s internal conflict: while he recognizes the nobility of the Five Fishes’ cause, he believes their struggle is pointless in a world without a future due to human infertility (the Omega event). He questions the value of fighting for justice in a dying society where such concepts will soon become obsolete.
Ultimately, Theo’s initial sympathy fades as he contrasts the group’s idealism with the resigned stoicism of the general population. He views most people as enduring their suffering quietly, finding small comforts and maintaining decency despite their despair. By tearing up and discarding the message, Theo rejects the Five Fishes’ call to action, though he briefly envies their passion. The chapter ends with his conflicted dismissal of their “pitiably unarmoured fellowship,” highlighting the tension between idealism and hopelessness.
FAQs
1. What are the five demands made by the Five Fishes in their message to the people of Britain?
Answer:
The Five Fishes’ demands are:- Call a general election to let the Warden of England present his policies to the people.
- Grant Sojourners full civil rights, including the right to live in their own homes, reunite with their families, and remain in Britain after their service contracts end.
- Abolish the Quietus (a practice implied to be inhumane).
- Halt deportations to the Isle of Man Penal Colony and ensure decent living conditions for those already there.
- End compulsory semen testing and medical examinations of women, and shut down public pornography shops.
These demands reflect their plea for justice and humanity in a dystopian society facing existential collapse.
2. Why does Theo react with “exasperated pity” to the Five Fishes’ message?
Answer:
Theo feels exasperated pity because he views the group’s demands as noble but ultimately futile. He acknowledges their moral reasoning but doubts their ability to effect change, given their lack of resources, organization, and power. The society is in decline, with no future due to the Omega (likely referencing human infertility), making struggles for justice seem meaningless. Theo also questions whether imposing “heroic virtue” on a broken populace is fair, as most people are already enduring their hardships with quiet dignity. His pity stems from recognizing their idealism as tragically impractical.3. How does Theo’s perspective on the Five Fishes shift by the end of the chapter?
Answer:
Initially, Theo sympathizes with the Five Fishes’ demands, recognizing their humanity and reasonableness. However, upon reflection, his sympathy drains away as he concludes their efforts are powerless against the regime’s entrenched systems. He contrasts their “folly” with the stoicism of ordinary people who endure their fate without protest. His final act—destroying the message—symbolizes his resignation to the hopelessness of their cause, though he briefly wishes he could share their passion. This shift underscores the tension between idealism and nihilism in a dying world.4. What does the chapter suggest about the role of hope in a society without a future?
Answer:
The chapter explores how the absence of hope (symbolized by Omega, likely human extinction) corrodes motivation for societal reform. The Five Fishes cling to ideals like justice and compassion, but Theo argues these concepts lose meaning when there’s no future generation to inherit them. The populace, described as “human mules,” bears its suffering passively, finding small comforts instead of revolting. The Five Fishes’ struggle highlights the paradox of fighting for change in a world where even victory would be hollow—a critique of whether hope can exist without a tangible future.5. Analyze the significance of Theo destroying the Five Fishes’ message. What might this action reveal about his character and the novel’s themes?
Answer:
Theo’s destruction of the message reflects his internal conflict and the novel’s themes of futility and resignation. By tearing and flushing the paper, he symbolically rejects the group’s ideals, yet his fleeting wish to share their passion shows lingering ambivalence. This act underscores his pragmatic cynicism—he understands systemic oppression cannot be overturned by amateur activists. It also mirrors the broader theme of societal decay: just as the message is “swirling, out of sight,” so too are humanity’s chances for renewal. Theo embodies the tension between compassion and despair in a collapsing world.- Call a general election to let the Warden of England present his policies to the people.
Quotes
1. “If our race is to die, let us at least die as free men and women, as human beings, not as devils.”
This opening statement from the Five Fishes’ manifesto captures the central moral dilemma of the chapter - whether to accept societal decay passively or resist with dignity, even in the face of inevitable extinction. It sets up the ideological conflict driving the narrative.
2. “It was reasonable to struggle, to suffer, perhaps even to die, for a more just, a more compassionate society, but not in a world with no future where, all too soon, the very words ‘justice,’ ‘compassion,’ ‘society,’ ‘struggle,’ ‘evil,’ would be unheard echoes on an empty air.”
This poignant reflection by Theo represents the novel’s core philosophical tension - the value of moral action in a doomed world. The lyrical deterioration of meaningful concepts into “unheard echoes” powerfully conveys the existential crisis.
3. “By what right did the Five Fishes seek to impose upon these stoical dispossessed the futile burden of heroic virtue?”
Theo’s internal debate questions whether resistance movements like the Five Fishes are inspiring or cruel in a dying world. This rhetorical challenge encapsulates the ethical complexity of activism when traditional notions of progress and legacy have collapsed.