Privilege And Inequality In 'Noughts And Crosses'

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Privilege and Inequality in ‘’Noughts and Crosses’’

In her story ‘’Noughts and Crosses’’, Malorie Blackman shows many instances and

struggles between the characters involving privilege and/or the lack of such.
Through these struggles, each characters individual privilege influences them differently as

shown throughout the story, as they either strive to break down barriers, or overcome

barriers set in front of them. Blackman shows how the Crosses use power and privilege to

maintain a racist society and how Noughts fight to make a change.

The unfairness to Noughts expressed by Crosses in society span from exclusion to

they’re own privileges such as education shown in the protest; ‘’No Blankers in our

School’’(55), a slogan which …show more content…

Noughts enrolling at a prestigious school such as

Heathcroft in that society was unheard of and had received hostile responses from Cross

students which in turn caused a school riot. Within school, Nought's have to sit at a secluded table away from the student body, considered the inferior kind to Crosses.

Sephy had gotten in trouble for sitting with them; ‘’She wasn’t telling me to go sit back at

my table.

She was telling me to go back to my own kind.’’(74). Crosses multiple times have regarded

themselves as a superior race to Noughts despite them all being the same, human.

Another instance of inequality within this society is the privilege of transportation. This is

shown as Callum had only seen Crosses on the train, him being the only Nought; ‘’I

watched the cursory glances they gave the ID passes of all the Crosses in the carriage.

I was the only Nought.’’ These acts expressed by crosses towards Callum and other

Noughts throughout the story foreshadow how they’re society is towards them, and in turn

Creates resentment and hatred on both sides, Callum’s resentment for Sephy from this

event in the story and beyond creates resentment for her and crosses as a whole …show more content…

He said that once they had you they never let go. I learned what he

meant over the next couple of years.’’(336). This implies that Callum had joined and been

apart of the militia for quite some time. He believes that by joining the Liberation Militia

and using violence as well as ransom would be best to get the government's attention and

remove society’s barriers by force. Sephy, on the other hand, had two alternate methods to

violence; ‘’I joined a dissident group. We were Crosses fighting for a change in the

System.’’(334), members of the said group all shared similar and the same ideals Sephy had

for change, these were crosses who could use their own privilege to make a difference and

create equal rights between noughts and crosses. She also opted to become a lawyer who

fights for equality for Noughts; ‘’I’ve decided to be a lawyer. But I'm only gonna work on

those cases that I believe in, i'm gonna be another Kelani Adams.’’ This is another example

by using your power to create a change, a judicial position would grant her some power to create a change in the form of giving Noughts more of a fair trial in court unlike what

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