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Chapter 52
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
These days, Sephy limits herself to one glass of wine per night. It’s just enough to make her feel calm, and her first hangover taught her not to overdo it. She’s not a drunk like Mother. She just drinks “Well, because.” She doesn’t like the taste of wine, but Mother is right: it “smooths out the rough edges.” When she’s drinking, Sephy doesn’t care as much about Mother or Callum. Isn’t that awesome?
If Sephy is drinking to help herself calm down, it follows that she’s experiencing a great deal of anxiety right now. This makes sense: Sephy is still disturbed because she believes Callum was involved with the bombing, and Mother’s drinking is unsettling. With a glass of wine, though, Sephy finds that she doesn’t have to care so much.
Themes
