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Chapter 8
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
Mother opens Sephy’s bedroom door to tell her that Mr. Hadley is on TV. Sephy rolls her eyes—she’s not five—but turns on her TV. Mr. Hadley is saying that change in society should be slow, even when Minister Pelango says that noughts have more rights in other PEC countries than they do here. Minister Pelango says it’s his duty to “drag” people into the future, for the sake of Crosses and noughts. Sephy changes the channel as soon as Mother leaves the doorway. She’s tired of politics.
Mr. Hadley is still trying hard to look progressive enough to not be called backwards—but it doesn’t seem like that’s working. Given this spirited debate on the evening news, it appears that there are some major political upheavals in the works. But Sephy isn’t aware or mature enough to care. All of this is still boring for her, because she doesn’t grasp how this might affect her—or her relationship with Callum.
Themes
