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
Two hours after the execution is stayed, Mum and Callum finally get in to see Dad. Dad, now deflated, walks into Mum’s arms and then they all sit down. Mum says she’s glad Dad is alive, but Dad says he isn’t—he was ready to die. He doesn’t want to rot in prison. Just then, Kelani Adams enters the room, looking triumphant. She hugs everyone and then says she’s prepared to launch the appeal. Dad tells her that this will go no further. Kelani argues that Dad is innocent, but Dad says they both know he’ll never get out of prison. Mum begs Dad to accept the help, but Dad says he’ll find his own way out of prison.
Even though Dad embraces Mum, he speaks as though he’s no longer interested in staying alive—not even for Mum or Callum’s sake. Indeed, he seems fully checked out and as though he doesn’t believe that a court will ever believe Kelani that he’s innocent. In a way, Dad is fully accepting that he doesn’t have any power in society anymore as an inmate for life. And in his mind, it’s not worth it to keep trying to prove his innocence when failing is so likely.
Themes
The prison guard—who has been silent up to this point—says that there’s no way to escape. The fence is electrified, and the gates are always guarded. Mum asks Dad to promise to not do anything “stupid,” and Kelani asks Dad to trust her to do her job. The guard says visiting time is up, so Dad gets up and walks away. He tells Mum he’s getting out. Mum just watches him go—and then tells Callum that Dad didn’t even say goodbye.
Note that while Dad said he’ll find a way out of prison, he may not necessarily be referring to escaping—he may also be referring to committing suicide. Particularly since he leaves Mum without saying goodbye, it suggests that he no longer feels a real connection to his family. This further fractures Callum’s family and leaves Callum and Mum alone.
Themes
