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Chapter 90
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The 5th Wave, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Trust and Belief
Survival and Perseverance
Warfare and Dehumanization
Family
Summary
Analysis
Cassie, Ben, and Sammy make it miles away to safety by dawn. The surviving members of Ben’s squad, including Dumbo, Poundcake, and Ringer, are there. Ringer was the one who came back with the Humvee. Even though she’s safe, Cassie still worries about Evan.
Although the story is full of death, the final chapter celebrates the survival of several characters, who used their wits and strength to overcome all of the obstacles and to continue surviving in a very hostile world.
Themes
Ben thanks Cassie for saving him and kisses her, half on the cheek half on the mouth. Cassie had long fantasized about kissing him but never expected it to happen like this. She talks to Ben about old memories from school, but they don’t seem important anymore. Ben puts his arm around Cassie as the sun comes over the horizon.
The placement of Ben’s kiss, half on the cheek and half on the mouth, makes it unclear whether he has romantic feelings for her or not, setting up a conflict for future books in the series. The sunrise over the horizon represents a new beginning coming out of darkness and the hope that there might be a better future for humanity.
Themes
