Andrea Conque
In Fallout 3 's post-apocalyptic 2277 Washington, DC, there are children who grow up in vaults like Vault 101. These children are well cared for and relatively safe, discounting the occasional encounter with radroaches or the Tunnel Snakes. Yet, there is another group of children in Fallout 3 , ones who have managed to survive for over 200 years – without the assistance of adults. Eighty-two students originally left the Early Dawn Elementary School in 2077 and soon found themselves trapped within “Lamplight Caverns,” an old tourist destination, when nuclear bombs shook the site. After their chaperones and teacher meet sticky ends or mistreat them horribly, the Little Lamplighters decide to create their own society, free from “Mungos,” their word for adults. For Little Lamplighters, Mungos are the ones who caused the world to be in such a horrible situation. Therefore, Mungos are not to be trusted. In fact, there are only two laws in Little Lamplight: obey the mayor (who can be elected at any time) and leave by your sixteenth birthday—or suffer dire consequences. When thinking of politics, the role of children is rarely considered, if at all. However, the children of Little Lamplight act as effective agents of political socialization, take on roles of political representation, combat social isolation effectively, create good strategies for resisting political oppression, and seem to avoid the usual pitfalls of conflict concerning limited resources that plagues most societies—all without the help of Mungos.