Some of the novel’s action takes place in the present—the turn of the twenty-first-century, when it was written—but most of it involves Stephen’s memories of events that happened during World War II. In some ways, therefore, the entire novel is about the war, including its lasting effect on the British people. Stephen recalls his wartime childhood:

It's like the War Effort, and the perpetual sense of strain it induces, of guilt for not doing enough towards it. The War Effort hangs over us for the Duration….

The relationship between paranoia, extreme or unjustified fear, and realistic fear is also explored throughout the novel. Stephen and his friend Keith both know, as do all English children, that the war presents real dangers to them. Not only those serving overseas are in danger.

Because London was constantly bombed by the German air force in the Blitz, thousands of British people died on their own soil. Notices about espionage and sabotage were routinely circulated, and children were encouraged to be vigilant. Keith thinks his own mother is a spy. For much of the novel, the reader does not know if the boys’ suspicions about spies in their midst are justified, so it might seem that they were paranoid. While their fears turn out to have some basis in fact, the truth is not what they expected.

The question of belonging can pertain to Stephen’s childhood desire to be part of something bigger than himself. Too young to join the military but aware of his patriotic duty, Stephen struggles to find a meaningful way to contribute. He is also conscious of the class distinctions between Keith’s wealthier family and his own, which he finds “unsatisfactory.” His youth also renders him unable to verbalize exactly what the problem is, but he knows there is “something not quite right” about the Wheatleys. This desire to belong, both in patriotic and class terms, leads to his complicit involvement in Keith’s schemes.