Article 5 by Kristen Simmons



I have read a lot of books this summer, but this book is by far, one of the best.  I could not put this book down once I started it.  I began reading it last night and finally made myself go to bed sometime after midnight.  Then, I spent the entire morning finishing it, because I had to know what happened.

In a (hopefully) distant future, The Bill of Rights have been replaced by The Moral Statutes (see below).  These Moral Statutes are enforced by The Federal Bureau of Reform, known to civilians as the Moral Militia.  At first, if you are not compliant, you receive a citation and you are required to pay a fine.  Now, the rules are becoming more strict and the punishment is getting worse.  Now, if you are not compliant, then the government comes in and makes you disappear.  Seventeen year old Ember's existence is enough to condemn her mother.  She was born out of wedlock, which means that her mother is arrested and Ember is sent to a reform school.  She is not even considered a legal citizen.  What hurts Ember the most is that her boyfriend, who was drafted into the Moral Militia, is present when she is arrested.  She feels betrayed, but she knows she must find a way to escape and help her mother. 

The Moral Statutes of the United States of America
ARTICLE 1 - The United States embraces the Church of America as her official religion.
"Article 1 denied individuals the right to practice or 'display propaganda' associated with an alternative religion to Church of America" (53).

ARTICLE 2 - Literature and other media considered immoral are hereby banned and shall not be owned, bought, sold or traded in any capacity.

ARTICLE 3 - Whole families are to be considered one man, one woman and child(ren).

ARTICLE 4 - Traditional male and female roles shall be observed.
"Traditional male and femal roles were outlined in Article 4.  The importance of a woman's subservience.  The necessity for her to respect her maile partner while he, in turn, supported the famil as the provider and spiritual leader....when I searched for some clause prohibiting domestic violence, I found no mention of it" (53).

ARTICLE 5 - "Children are considered valid citizens only when conceived by a married man and wife.  All other children are to be removed from the home and subjected to rehabilitation procedures" (53).

Simmons, Kristen.  Article 5. New York: Tor Teen, 2012.