Children in the novel symbolize innocence. Although most of the characters are children or teenagers, the absence of adults means that older teens like Cassie and Ben become parental figures to the younger children, particularly Sam and Megan.

Sam represents innocence in the novel in the sense that he is still largely too young to understand what is going on around him. Although he understands the danger they are in, he mostly follows orders, hiding in the hotel room and being protected repeatedly by Ben and Cassie. Even when they are in danger of all being killed by Grace or the incendiary device, Ben and Cassie’s primary motivation is to save Sam and preserve his innocence.

Megan and the child in the Prologue, both turned into walking explosive devices, are useful to Vosch and the military because of their youth and innocence. In the Prologue, the woman scolds the man for pointing his gun at the child emerging from the wheat, insisting that “He’s just a baby. Why would you shoot a child?” (iv). In response, the man thinks, “How do we know? […] How can we be sure of anything anymore?” (iv-v). His words exemplify the primary weapon that the Others are using against the surviving humans: psychological warfare and manipulation. By using innocent children as weapons, the Others are able to gain access to surviving groups while also further eroding their compassion. When Vosch sends Megan into the hotel, he hopes she will kill Cassie, Ben, and the other humans present there, but he hopes even more that they will kill her, thus preserving their lives at the cost of their humanity.