It's not just a FAYZ discussion
HUNGER
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Dekka - There are ALWAYS lines
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I really need to reread these because I have no idea what you're talking about.
Mod
I'm on my second read-through of Hunger right now and I'm picking up lots of things I missed first time around. I realized when I read the third one that I'd missed a bit and when I finally got a copy of Plague I resolved to start at the beginning and read them all before I tackled it.
Hunger is (among other things) about the fragmentation of the FAYZ kids splitting into freaks and non-freak groups. Sam decrees that they're not gonna split up into groups that way... Though who ever listens to Sam?
This is true I'd love to reread them, but I don't have the time. Plus there are so many others I wanna try. Kids always break into groups: cliques in school. I think they feel a lot more powerful when part of a group.
You can probably trace the instinct of separating into groups back to a time when prehistoric humans were contesting with Neanderthals. Despite the Neanderthals being quicker and more powerful, the prehistoric humans ultimately triumphed due to their ability to co-operate, live and fight in larger groups compared to the Neanderthals, who were far more fractured and didn't really get along in larger groups. The upshot is that over many centuries the benefit to forming groups, be it for something as simple as a common interest, or something as vast as an entire society, has long been established. Individuals within a group are afforded protection, and the group as a whole is stronger as an entity than its member would be individually. That dual benefit is applicable is almost endless situations within life.
That basic principle is reflected in this series, as the (arguably fallacious) belief of Zil's breakaway group is that they are vulnerable in the face of the powerful mutant children. The group is formed to counter that vulnerability. Of course there are then issues or prejudice and ethics that stem from that, but the basic principle as to why the group is formed is there.
Mod
Zil was already a proud member of a splinter group before any pooofing went on. He and his buddies made a big deal of being San Francisco fans even though they lived in southern California.
To them it was a form of group bonding.
One of the problems that we encounter in Hunger is the propensity for a society to fragment into groups. This seems to be so common that it's probably genetic. I've struggled with the question and can't come up with a good reason. Is there some biological advantage to humans dividing themselves up into groups?