Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Childhood’s End, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Science and Mysticism
Benevolent Dictatorship and Freedom
Utopia and Creative Apathy
Individuality, Globalization, and Progress
The Fate of Humanity
Summary
Analysis
Jan Rodricks, aboard another Overlord ship, is on his way back to Earth. He stands behind the three Overlord pilots watching their screens and thinks about how he now understands why the Overlords have prohibited humans from entering space. Humanity has a long way to develop before it can be a part of galactic civilization.
Jan, the humanistic hero who had formerly chafed at the Overlords’ rule and secrecy, realizes that Karellen is right. Humanity is not ready to see or know about what else exists in the universe. He gives up his humanistic ideals and surrenders to the natural limitations of humanity, which seems almost to be a betrayal of the classic science fiction narrative.
Themes
An Overlord named Vindarten had warned Jan that Earth might be unrecognizable by the time he returns, but Jan does not know what this means. In any case, the Overlords had been good to him. When he had emerged from hiding—discovering that he could breathe their air—and revealed himself, the Overlords did not seem at all bothered by it. They landed, and the pilots wordlessly stood up and left. As the door opened up, red light struck Jan and he saw the home of the Overlords for the first time.
The Overlords are characteristically unbothered by Jan’s appearance, even nonchalant, seeming to highlight their extremely rational natures. It begs the question, then, whether the affection that Karellen, the Inspector, and even Rashaverak display are genuine or merely practiced charades that help them communicate with humans.
Themes
All he could see was a broad plain, and Jan was disappointed. He had expected more, but soon realized that he was only on a moon. He soon boarded another smaller vessel and was taken to their true planet, reaching it within minutes.
Although it was only a moon, this initial disappointment is reflective of Jan’s reaction to his entire stay on the Overlords’ planet: interesting, but somewhat disappointing, in part because most things he sees are incomprehensible to him.
Themes
Jan spent the first two days in the building they landed in, realizing quickly that none of the Overlords knew English and communication was “practically impossible.” However, Vindarten, who spoke bad English but quickly improved, arrived. Vindarten took Jan to meet many Overlord scientists who interviewed him and carried out numerous tests. Since Overlords do not sleep, it took Jan a great while to convince them that sleep was something his body required.
Jan’s initial idea of offering himself as a specimen to the Overlords to take back to their planet for study winds up being somewhat predictive. The Overlords, who value scientific knowledge, mainly use the opportunity to run tests and gather data on Jan. They are less excited to meet a human being than they are interested in the opportunity to study him.
Themes
Get the entire Childhood’s End LitChart as a printable PDF.
In between meetings, Jan caught short looks at the city he was in. Everything depended on flight, he realized, so there would be no way for him to get around. Most of what he saw he did not understand, but he quickly noticed that everything was utilitarian—no decorations, no art, nothing superfluous. The city was also not very large, though Vindarten explained that there were thousands of cities on the planet, each with a particular function. This city’s function was anthropological.
The Overlords prize science, knowledge, and technological capability to such a degree that they have no need, as far as Jan can see, for anything that does not offer an actual utility, and thus have no aesthetics or art. Even the organization of their cities is purely for the sake of gathering knowledge. They are the epitome of scientific rationalism. This suggests, then, that on New Athens the Inspector was faking his enjoyment.
Themes
Vindarten eventually took Jan to see a museum, most of which confused him, but which also contained an exhibit of Earth, complete with yellow sunlight, rather than red. He met the curator and spent a number of hours speaking into a recorder while he was asked about all manner of earthly artifacts, most of which he did not recognize, to his own shame. Vindarten took him elsewhere to see the eye of a creature the size of an asteroid and Jan wondered at the possibilities of nature.
Jan realizes that it may have been foolish to pine after new frontiers, other worlds, and the strange discoveries he may make when he doesn’t even understand much of Earth’s history sufficiently well. Once again, his characterization essentially turns over on itself. While before, all he dreamed about was seeing new worlds, he is now struck with the realization that he does not even understand his own world well enough to have any business on another.
Themes
One time, he had been taken up to the highest point in the city and, turning around, he had spotted a mountain rising up from beyond the horizon. The mountain began to change, shifting hues and shapes, seeming not even to be made of matter. A massive ring rose out of the mountain, some sort of vortex that flew into the sky and passed overhead. Looking back, the mountain seemed as if it had stretched upward and was now spinning in place. When he tried to take a picture with his camera, Vindarten stopped him, the first and only time he had done so. Jan had a clue, for the first time, that “the Overlords had masters too.”
Although Jan does not know about the Overmind at this time, he later realizes that this is what he is seeing. Even so, Jan concludes, as George did and as the reader has been discovering, that the Overlords’ power is finite, and that there is a hierarchy within which they sit as well. For all of their power and knowledge, the Overlords are like humanity—subjects of another being.
Themes
Jan is returning home. Though he had the opportunity to stay with the Overlords, Vindarten convinced him it was better to leave quickly and return to his native environment. Because of the relativity of time during space travel, Jan has aged only a few months, but 80 years have passed on Earth since his departure. His dream has been fulfilled.
Jan, having seen an alien planet and traveled to another solar system, resigns himself to whatever the rest of his days may hold. This is fortunate, since he is returning to a doomed world. Had he not experienced what he did and let go of his humanistic fervor, her may not be ready to face what has befallen Earth.
Themes
As the ship nears Earth, Jan sees through the viewing screen that, though it looks the same, there are no lights from the cities and no signs of human activity. He is filled with fear. The ship lands, and as the door opens he sees Karellen, who announces that he has been waiting for Jan.
Although Jan knew that he was leaving behind every person he ever knew, the price he paid seems to be even greater than he bargained for. He could not imagine that, not only would everyone he knew be dead, but the whole human race would be too.
Themes
