Noughts and Crosses

by: Malorie Blackman

Questions:

- What is the theme of Noughts and Crosses? Was there a message that Malorie Blackman wanted us to recieve through this novel?

Response: 

Personally I think that there are many themes to Noughts and Crosses, a replica of Romeo and Juliet. Among them are, discrimination, breaking out of what people expect of you, the importance of equality, the fact that the power of love does not conquer all, choosing the right decisions and the reality of how strong is the power of what people believe in/morals.

I thought that Malorie Blackman wanted to give a message to the rest of the world through the eyes of the discriminator and the discriminated. She wanted to show the world how bad discrimination is; what discrimination can make someone do. In both points of views, she demonstrates the power of discrimination. She demonstrates that the act of discriminating can either make you feel at the top of the world, or lower than mud. Personally my definition of discrimination is an act or a thought against a group or an individual that is/are different, either mentally or physically, than him/herself. So basically, it's an opinion or a feeling towards someone/something based on what he/she has experienced or heard. Opinions and feelings are the basis of human thinking; since the beginning of time, these theories and hypothesis' were based on assumptions and intelligent guesses. So my theory of discrimination is simply that it is pointless because in the beginning, we humans, are all the same. We all inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxyde, we all have 24 hours a day, 365/366 days a year, we all grow old and eventually we all die. It's not like some certain person won't die because he/she is more rich, or he/she has a different colored skin. The world where we live in is much more tolerant due to many new and accepting ideas. But Malorie Blackman seems to have reversed that in her book; in her book, the society where Sephy and Callum live in is hopefully a parallel universe where a race dominates and terrorizes another race thinking that they're inferior to them.

Being in the unequal situation Callum and Sephy are in, they are expected to follow in the footsteps of what their parents and their "race" believe in. Naturally, in this Romeo and Juliet themed story, the two main characters are from two completely different worlds, but they manage to unexpliquably fall in love with each other. As the story line dictates, their relationship cannot last once people discover their secret. But they try to defy the threats and curses hurled at them for disgracing his/her race. In the end, Sephy has to choose between her lover, Callum or their unborn child. As Sephy chooses her and Callum's unborn child, a powerful and symbolic meaning is created in the story. But choosing the unborn baby, both Sephy and Callum have conquered the world by giving life to the next generation. And also a symbol of defiance towards what is expected of you and your reputation. The unborn baby symbolizes hope for the next generation, Sephy and Callum, have given birth to that by sacrificing Callum's life and Sephy's happiness.

We also learn from this novel that love does not really conquer all. Even though they have showed their love by strongly believing in what they believe in, both Callum and Sephy has to suffer the consequences, it's not as if people miraculously accept their relationship because of the power of true love. Malorie Blackman has demonstrated the truth and cruelty of reality.