Previous
Chapter 48
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Noughts and Crosses, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism, Division, and Tragedy
Awareness and Privilege
Love, Lust, Power, and Violence
Friendship
Youth, Innocence, and Growing Up
Family
Summary
Analysis
Sephy is almost at the end of her rope. She’s been shopping with Mother for five hours now, and has only just gotten away to drink a glass of orange juice at the mall café. Mother is putting her purchases in the car. Suddenly, Callum races up and says they have to get out of here—it doesn’t matter that she hasn’t finished her drink. Sephy realizes Callum is terrified as he drags her out of her seat. A Cross man asks Sephy if Callum is bothering her, but Sephy tells the man Callum just wants to show her something and lets Callum drag her away.
Sephy’s orange juice at the mall is another symbol of her privilege: she can afford what Callum has previously framed as a luxury drink. But when Callum interrupts her and pulls her away from the orange juice, it suggests that Sephy’s privilege isn’t going to shield her against whatever is going to happen next. And even though Sephy doesn’t know what’s going on, she still trusts Callum to keep her safe.
Themes
Suddenly, every alarm in the mall goes off. Callum tells Sephy to keep moving, and they race for the nearest exit. Other people see Callum and Sephy running and in moments, everyone is running for the doors. Once they’re outside, Callum keeps dragging Sephy along—and then there’s a flash and a boom. Sephy flies through the air and hits the ground. Her ears ring, and she’s not sure how long she lays there or if she’s dead. Then, Sephy sits up and sees smoke billowing out of the mall. Callum asks Sephy if she’s okay, but Sephy tells Callum to tell her he’s not somehow responsible for the bomb. Sephy gets up and races to check on Mother.
This is an extremely tense and confusing experience for Sephy. Though she survives the bomb, the blast still throws her and temporarily damages her hearing. Worst of all, though, is Sephy’s growing suspicion that Callum was involved with the bomb. Readers, of course, know that he had nothing to do with planting it, but Sephy has no way to know that. So the fact that Callum somehow knew about the bomb makes Sephy feel like she and Callum are growing even further apart.
Themes
