THE DECLARATION: a synopsis (WARNING: contains spoilers!)
CHAPTER 1
The novel is set in 2140.
Anna is writing in her journal about what her life is like at Grange Hall and how much she hates her parents for having
her and making her ‘surplus’. Anna talks about striving to be a ‘valuable asset’. The diary was something given to her
by a Mrs. Sharpe, a lady she did housekeeping for. Anna keeps the diary in a little hole down the side of the bath.
She writes out her feelings when she can. Anna loves writing in her journal it is a great comfort to her. Mrs.Pincent,
the stern and frightening matron of Grange Hall tells Anna that she must prepare a bed for a new boy.
CHAPTER 2
In this chapter the reader learns more about the longevity drugs invented by Dr.Fern and how the authorities control
them. Problems arose when people stopped dying and there was over population so the Authorites made ‘The
Declaration’ and soon other countries got their people to sign ‘The Declaration’ as well. This is signed by people who
want to live forever and they will not have babies. People who ‘opt out’ are not given the longevity drugs and they will
eventually die but they are allowed to have one child. Children who are born illegally are called surplus and they are
put into surplus halls, of which Grange Hall is one. At the end of the chapter the new boy Peter arrives and he tells
Anna that her name is Anna Covey and he has met her parents.
CHAPTER 3
Peter makes Anna feel a little uncomfortable with his forthright manner. He seems different to other pendings in that
there is a defiance in him. He does not like the food and questions the indoctrination of Grange Hall. Peter protects
Anna from a bully called Charlie. Anna tells peter to mind his own business and that surpluses don’t help each other.
CHAPTER 4
Peter has been placed in Solitary and then released for his defiance. Anna is annoyed and disturbed by his presence.
Peter tells her about her parents and then shocks her by talking about her birthmark which is in the shape of a
butterfly, however Mrs.Pincent always told her it looked like a moth. Speaking about the birthmark stirs an old
memory for Anna and it reminds her of the time she had parents. Then she is worried that perhaps peter is a spy, put
in Grange Hall by Mrs.Pincent to test her.
CHAPTER 5
This chapter describes the cold, bleak and stark atmosphere of Grange hall. In this chapter the reader learns that
Margaret Pincent has been married and her husband left her. Her father, a stern and hateful man puts her in charge of
grange hall because he can’t give her any financial assistance. Margaret Pincent resents Grange hall. She is
determined to break Peter’s spirit.
CHAPTER 6
Peter is a fast learner at Grange hall but Anna is concerned he doesn’t know about any of the propaganda books
issued to surpluses eg; “Surplus Shame”. Peter talsk about the house in London which he lived in with Anna’s parents
and how once a year he got to run around in a field. Peter pleads with Anna to run away with him and he reveals to
her that he got himself caught so that he could get her a reunit her with her parents.
CHAPTER 7
In this chapter the reader learns of the barbaric ways the inmates of Grange Hall entertain themselves with sadistic
games. Mrs. Pincent is pleased because it keeps them aggressive. Anna no longer likes the brutality and this is
highlighted in an incident where she protects a younger surplus, Sheila. Sheila is defiantly saying she is a ‘legal’ to
another surplus, Tania during a game of “Surplus & Legal” in which the girls have to be a slave to a Legal person.
Mrs. Pincent catches Tania being rude to Anna, who is a prefect. Anna refuses to hit Tania for being rude to her
despite being ordered to by Mrs.Pincent. Sheila remains defiant throughout this incident and declares that she is not
a surplus.
CHAPTER 8
Anna works harder at her training sessions and tries to put Peter out of her mind. Peter is being beaten. Charlie once
more menaces Anna. Anna realises she may have feelings for Peter. Anna sneaks out of bed and goes to visit Peter
in solitary. She feels a sense of freedom as she walks the hall at night.
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CHAPTER 9
Peter tells Anna that he has been questioned and given drugs. Peter is worried that perhaps he will not get out of
solitary. Anna recalls a time when she was punished for looking at the snow. The next morning Anna feels sorry for
Sheila who has a loose button . She lets Sheila eat her breakfast instead of punishing her further by making her fix the
button and miss the meal.
CHAPTER 10
Anna and Sheila are doing laundry . The reader is introduced to the idea of ‘uplifters’ which support the sagging
bodies of the old people . the longevity drugs make you live forever but your skin still sags off your bones. Sheila
confronts Anna about where she had been the previous night as she was not in her bed. Anna is horrified when
Shelia steals some silk underwear. Anna is questioned by mrs. Pincent about Peter but tells her nothing. Anna
overhears Mrs.Pincent in a phone call calling her stupid.
CHAPTER 11
Anna hates Mrs.Pincent and realises that peter was right. Anna goes to visit Peter in solitary but finds that she is
followed by Sheila. Peter tells Anna all about her parents and how desperately they want her back.
CHAPTER 12.
Anna is determined to escape with Peter. Sheila discovers and reads Anna’s journal.
CHAPTER 13
Anna gets herself deliberately put into solitary so she can be with Peter and they can escape.
CHAPTER 14
Peter tells Anna about his days in the Underground movement fighting against the injustices of the authorities.
CHAPTER 15
Anna and Peter escape and they decide to go to Mrs.Sharpe’s house for sanctuary. Anna knows where the key is to
her summer house. Together they open it and hide inside.
CHAPTER 16
Mrs. Pincent is told of the escape and she is furious. The catchers are called. The reader is introduced to Julia Sharpe
who is disturbed to have two catchers arrive on her door step.
CHAPTER 17
Anna and Peter hide in the summer house, whilst the catchers are talking to Mrs.Sharpe. The catchers search
Mrs.Sharpe’s house. Mrs. Sharpe lies about the key to the garden shed so they cannot search in there. She warns the
catchers that her husband, Anthony Sharpe works for the Interior Ministry and he would not like it if they broke the
door down. Barbara, a friend of Mrs.Sharpe’s let’s Julia know that there is a search party being organised. When
Barbara is gone Julia Sharpe goes to the summer house and confronts Anna and Peter. Mrs. Pincent assigns one of
her expert catchers to the case. Sheila is upset that Anna and Peter did not take her with her. She knows all about
their plans as she has read the diary.
CHAPTER 18
Mrs.Sharpe feeds and tends to the wounds of Peter and Anna. Then the two hide once more in her summer house.
CHAPTER 19
Julia Sharpe pretends that she has a headache and doesn’t go along with the search party. Julia drives Anna and
Peter to London and they hide in the boot.
CHAPTER 20
When Julia returns to her house she is questioned by the Chief Catcher. Anna and Peter walk to the house in
Bloomsbury where Anna is reunited with her parents. Julia Sharpe is blackmailed into telling the Chief Catcher what
she has done.
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CHAPTER 21
Sheila is bullied by Charlie and the stolen silk underwear is discovered. Mrs. Pincent bribes Sheila into telling her what
Anna has done by offering her to be the new prefect. Sheila accepts. Anna is coming to terms with being back once
more with her parents. She is introduced to her baby brother.
CHAPTER 22
Anna realises that someone has read her diary and the catchers know about the house in London and they are
coming for them.
CHAPTER 23
The reader then discovers that Margaret Pincent had a child with her husband, Stephen Fitzpatrick but because he
had gotten another woman pregnant during an affair, Margaret’s baby was illegal and taken away from her. Stephen
her husband decided that he would take care of the situation and promised her that her son would not live the life of a
surplus. Mrs. Pincent believes her son is dead. Margaret Pincent reads Anna’s diary and is shocked when she
discovers that Peter had a signet ring. Margaret asks for the file on ‘surplus Peter’. The file is classified and she
telephones her ex-husband, Stephen to assist her.
CHAPTER 24
Margaret Pincent confronts Stephen Fitzpatrick about their baby and demands to know the truth. She tells him that
Peter has a gold signet ring with the initials “A.P” and that her grandfather had given her a ring like this. Margaret
Pincent pulls out a gun and holds it at Stephen demanding the truth of what happened with their son.
Anna is told the story of her parent’s past and how they had longed to get her back. Peter had been abandoned as a
baby and they had taken him in.
CHAPTER 25
Frank and Bill torture the neighbours of Anna’s parents to discover their location.
Margaret Pincent discovers that her son was not killed . Stephen had faked a burial and left the baby at a house that
was known to have underground sympathisers. Margaret Pincent realises that Peter is her son and that she had
nearly had him killed. She realises that the declaration states a life for a life and if one of Peter’s parents is dead he
can be legal. Margaret kills Stephen and in this act she makes her son legal.
CHAPTER 26
The catchers arrive at the Bloomsbury house. Anna’s parents take poison and die rather than let their children, Anna
and Ben be taken to a Surplus hall.
CHAPTER 27
Anna and Peter with Ben now live in the Bloomsbury house alone. They no longer have to hide as they are all legal.
This causes many stares and whispers from people in the street who are not used to seeing young people. Peter
works for the underground and Anna is learning about computers and raising her younger brother. She has of course
‘opted out’ of The Declaration. The last two sentences in the book affirm her new determination to face the future on
her own terms:
“I also know that I’m not Surplus Anna any more. I am Anna Covey: Opt Out.”
The Declaration chapter synopsis
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