The Beginning: Plot and Narrative Structure

Set in a future ahead of us, ‘the declaration’ is about a girl named Anna. She is just named Anna, and believes she shouldn’t exist. She lives in a place called the Grange Hall, where there are strict rules for people like her – who shouldn’t exist and aren’t, ‘legal’. They are governed by these rules, to make up for breaking the biggest rule of all - being born. The reason for this, is all because of the drug, Longevity.

Longevity is a drug created by scientists in the year 2040 that prevents the aging process and stops people from dying. All the once incurable diseases became curable with Longevity. Although, there was a flaw with that - people were still being born and because no one was dying, the Earth became overpopulated. Hence, in 2080, anyone who takes Longevity is forced to sign The Declaration, agreeing that they will not have any children, so that they can live forever. But, not everyone follows the rules and hence, there are those children that were born, who are harshly referred to as Surpluses.
 
Anna, being a surplus, is lucky because she can live in ‘Surplus Halls’ where they are taught that their existence is a crime against Nature, and that they must work hard if they want to redeem themselves for their parents’ sins and become a “valuable asset” to the world. A valuable asset in this case, would be to work for ‘The Legals’ who have signed the Declaration and be to some extent, free.
 
However, one day a boy named Peter arrives at Grange Hall, turning Anna’s world upside down. Everything she believes in, he defies it and insists on saying that her name is Anna Convey, that her parents are out there and love her. She struggles to escape the past, starts to question everything, and yearns for a better future outside of the Grange Hall.

The declaration is children’s novel written in chronological order. Although, it is written in third person and because of that, there are parts where we read from another’s perspective. However, Anna is the protagonist throughout the book.