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
It’s been almost six months since Lynette died. Callum’s 16th birthday in February was quiet and sad without Lynette there. She faded into the background when she was alive, but these days, Callum misses her so much. He’s still keeping her secret, but he desperately wants to tell someone, ideally Sephy. But he can’t bring himself to do it, and it would feel like betraying his family. To feel less alone (Mum, Dad, and Jude are all out), Callum calls Sephy. She wails that she’s going to the mall with Mother today, which is her worst nightmare. Callum laughs at her, but suggests they meet up later tonight. Sephy can’t fully commit—it will take Mother hours to purchase a single pair of shoes—but she’ll try. Callum says he might see Sephy at the mall anyway, since he needs some school supplies.
Callum knows instinctively that talking to someone about Lynette’s suicide is going to make him feel better. But Callum’s loyalty to his family keeps him from speaking up, and this means that he never gets the opportunity to deal with his emotions. The phone call with Sephy reads as pretty normal for Callum and Sephy: Sephy is still exasperated by what she perceives as Mother’s ridiculousness, and they both still want to connect with each other. And Callum’s note that he needs school supplies suggests that at least in the moment, he’s feeling better about Heathcroft than he did a few months ago.
Themes
