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Chapter 22
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Babel, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Colonization and Racism
Language, Translation, and Power
Race, Gender, and Intersectionality
Violence and Nonviolence
Complicity
Summary
Analysis
After teaching Robin to shoot a gun, Griffin leaves for Glasgow, where the Hermes Society plans to sabotage a shipyard. Robin has trouble falling asleep that night. The next morning, one of the Hermes Society members returns to the Old Library with a newspaper from London. The headline says that an Oxford professor was killed in Canton by people in league with Chinese lobbyists. In the article, there are sketches of Robin, Ramy, and Victoire, who are named as the perpetrators. Letty isn’t mentioned in the article.
Lovell’s death finally comes to light. Notably, Robin, Ramy, and Victoire are named as perpetrators, while Letty isn’t. The novel suggests that the racism of English society has already found Robin, Ramy, and Victoire guilty of murder in the court of public opinion because they are people of color. In contrast, Letty isn’t accused of the crime because of the privileges she experiences as a White woman.
Themes
The Hermes Society then continues to discuss their plans. Anthony tells Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty that they shouldn’t leave the Old Library, lest they be caught. The rest of the members will leave soon to begin their plans to stop Britain’s invasion of China. They will write letters to members of Parliament, and they’ll use intermediaries to lobby, blackmail, and otherwise influence those Parliament members directly. They begin to feel optimistic. Before they leave, Anthony gives Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty a sealed envelope with the names and contact information of Hermes Society members scattered throughout the world. Anthony talks about the possibility of getting caught and discusses what the next steps would be if that happened. Letty becomes upset and says she needs air. Anthony says not to go farther than a block away. A half-hour later, they realize Letty hasn’t returned.
Again, Anthony reiterates the Hermes Society’s mostly nonviolent plans to counter England’s efforts to invade China, which would lead England to secure an almost limitless amount of power and silver for itself. Notably, while Anthony describes the Society’s plans, he takes it for granted that everyone in the room listening to him is a true believer in the Hermes Society’s goals. Also, Griffin has espoused his belief that violence is necessary to further the Society’s goals. While he discussed with Robin why he believes violence is necessary, it’s unclear if a similar conversation has taken place with all of the Society’s members, leaving the question up in the air about which members agree with and support which kinds of tactics.
Themes
Just then, the members of the Hermes Society hear a loud banging on the door. Soon after, police officers flood into the room. Anthony tells Ramy, Robin, and Victoire to hide in the reading room. He (Anthony) and the three other members of the Hermes Society stay to face the police officers. In the reading room, there’s nowhere to go. Ramy, Robin, and Victoire turn around and try to assess their options. Then, Letty comes into the room. She’s holding a revolver.
Letty has betrayed not just the Hermes Society but also her closest friends. While the novel has previously established that having a group of friends is one of the most important things in Letty’s life, she has now reached the point that she is willing to betray all of them. The novel will later explore why Letty made that decision in more depth.
Themes
Letty tells Ramy, Robin, and Victoire to put their hands up. She says that the police have killed the other Hermes Society members, but they’ll spare Ramy, Robin, and Victoire’s lives if they go peacefully. Victoire looks at the envelope with contact information for Hermes Society members on the table. She lunges for it, and Robin charges at Letty. Letty fires the gun and hits Ramy. Ramy falls to the ground. Victoire throws the envelope into the fire. She then turns to Letty and asks her what she’s done. Robin chases after Letty, who hides behind the police officers. The officers seize Robin and then put a bag over his head. He calls out Victoire’s name, but there’s no response.
Letty goes beyond just betraying her friends and shoots Ramy, for whom Letty has romantic feelings. The novel suggests that Letty’s lack of understanding about the systemic nature of the British Empire’s racist attempts to violently oppress and exploit people has led her to falter in her support of the Hermes Society, thereby paving the way for her to defect from the Society and betray her friends.
Themes
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