The desire to live and enjoy life is a motif that flows throughout the novel. These teens, more than most, cherish each day that they've managed to stay alive and away from their unwinding. Most did not have great lives before going on the run, but even given that fact, all of them would rather live a horrible life than to not be given the chance to live at all. They all have hope, too, that they will live long enough to be exempt from the unwinding laws and they can have a chance to reenter society.
