Self-Reliance

Self-Reliance is one of the major themes of Kidnapped: The Abduction. While the Falconers treasure their family life together, they realize having survived an ordeal prior to the book's beginning that when they are apart, they must remain strong as individuals in order to keep their family intact at a later date. The group is only as good as its weakest element or so the old theory goes. Herein, the Falconers, particularly Meg and Aiden, demonstrate that just because they are underage, they lack any fundamental skills or abilities the adults around them display or possess.

Meg embodies all the family stands for in its purest form. She realizes the danger she is in but does not become hysterical. Instead, she self-empowers by remaining calm and objectively analyzing the weaknesses in her captor's plans. This self-reliance is very critical not only to the book's entertainment value, but equally...