Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat

The characters in Klawde view the world in many different ways, and while they do not always understand the perspectives of their companions, the presence of these different perspectives encourages them to build a more balanced and healthy understanding of their world. Turkey Vulture has the staunchest viewpoint of all the characters. As a survivalist who has given up on society and technology in order to embrace the benefits of living off the land, he tells the campers, “When you begin to understand nature’s secrets, you may be able to survive the future that is coming” (55). Turkey Vulture is convinced that there is no hope for humanity to reverse the devastating effects of climate change, and he believes that the only remaining course of action is to prepare for the world to change in catastrophic ways. Turkey Vulture’s extreme take on the situation shows the importance of thinking about how the actions of today will impact the world of tomorrow. Although Turkey Vulture’s harsh mannerisms alienate some of his listeners, Johnny Marciano uses this character to deliver important points on the topic of environmentalism, offering yet another unique perspective to be weighed and considered. 

While Turkey Vulture’s perspective remains too rigid to allow for other viewpoints, Raj’s outlook shows the advantages of being open-minded enough to confront and overcome one’s own biases. At the beginning of the book, Raj is convinced that nature is a frightening thing, and he wants nothing to do with it. Despite Turkey Vulture’s odd personality, though, Raj soon finds himself enjoying several aspects of nature camp and even learns to appreciate the beauty and power of the natural world. When Survival Night arrives, Raj has shifted from disregarding nature to acknowledging its importance. Ultimately, Turkey Vulture’s ideas change Raj in a constructive way, and this shift shows that different viewpoints can bring about positive change.

Like Turkey Vulture, Klawde also has firm opinions about how the world works. In the cat’s case, his focus is on war rather than the natural landscape, but even so, the inclusion of Klawde’s perspective shows the controversial effects that arise from adversarial viewpoints. Klawde’s descriptions of his home world indicate that most of his people’s culture and technology revolves around war. However, because there are no other residents of Lyttyrboks present to confirm this, it is unclear whether Klawde’s viewpoint is universal among Lyttyrboks’s cats. Regardless, Klawde’s violent mindset shapes how he views both Lyttyrboks and Earth. To him, Lyttyrboks is something to be conquered and ruled, and he also views Earth the same way, seeing everything there as either a threat or a weapon. As he becomes more familiar with the planet, he discovers that many of its objects are not intended for war, and he dismisses these things as useless because they do not aid him in accomplishing his goals. Klawde’s refusal to see past his own desire for dominance keeps him closed-minded and fixated. He never develops an appreciation for Earth, and his lack of growth means that when he does return to Lyttyrboks, he is unsuccessful in leading a full-scale takeover. Klawde’s arc therefore symbolizes the importance of accepting other viewpoints, and his failure warns of the harm that arises when different views are ignored.