Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Mortal Engines, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Social Class
Sacrifice
Dangers of Technology
The Importance of History
Prejudice and First Impressions
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
Aboard the pirate suburb of Tunbridge Wheels, Tom and Hester watch the suburb catch up with a small townlet. Tom is horrified that the pirates ignore the rules of Municipal Darwinism and start ripping the townlet up without giving the survivors a chance to escape. Hester, however, feels that the pirates are more honest about what they do than London. All of a sudden, Hester sees the mayor of the pirate suburb and recognizes him: Chrysler Peavey.
As Tom continues on the journey, he sees more and more things that he never had to see from the relative safety and comfort of London. Seeing Municipal Darwinism up close, Tom realizes that it’s not the civilized practice it appears to be when the victims are just the size of tiny ants in the distance.
Themes
Peavey used to trade in Shrike’s old town of Strole. Hester knows he is a ruthless killer, but she calls to him anyway. Peavey recognizes her and is shocked. He tells her about how he became the mayor of Tunbridge Wheels after it ate his old town one day, and he came aboard and staged a coup, turning Tunbridge Wheels from a normal town into a pirate suburb.
Peavey is a violent character, but although his actions aren’t necessarily justified, his motivations are somewhat sympathetic because his own town was destroyed. Many characters outside London live in similar moral gray areas, with some nevertheless trying to be good people and others becoming more selfish and cynical (like Peavey).
Themes
Hester tries to get Peavey to release her and Tom, saying they’ll work for him. Peavey regretfully says the only place he needs them is in the “slave pits” of the engine rooms. Tom, however, refuses to go, calling Peavey a coward. Peavey recognizes Tom’s London accent. He changes his mind and says a gentleman like Tom should be able to stay with him on the surface instead of going to the engine rooms. He offers Tom tea. Tom is shocked, but quickly requests that Hester must stay on the surface with them too.
Peavey’s change of mind is so sudden that it isn’t clear at first whether Peavey is being serious or making fun of Tom. As it turns out, however, Peavey is genuinely impressed by Tom’s status as a Londoner. Tom makes the most of the situation, trying to use his own status to help Hester, which demonstrates a growing connection between the two of them after all their shared hardships.
Themes
Tom thinks Peavey wants strategic information about London, but he soon realizes that Peavey just likes having someone around who’s upper class (at least compared to Peavey). Peavey gives Tom a tour and explains he doesn’t want to be a pirate forever—he’d like to become respectable someday. Hester encourages Tom to play along and pretend to be more of a gentleman than he is.
Although Peavey is a relatively respectable pirate, what he wants most is what he can’t have: respectability. Tom gives Peavey a way to live out his fantasies. Although Peavey is well below London on the food chain, he shares a similar desire to keep obtaining more and more.
Themes
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