John Wainwright is extremely intelligent even if he is stunted in his physical development. He believes in communist ideas but is critical of mainstream Marxism. He is also quite vain and highly skillful in the arts of seduction. From a human viewpoint, he can be considered amoral or perhaps to be following a morality beyond human understanding. The novel explores the theme of the Übermensch (superman) in the character of Odd John whose supernormal human mentality inevitably leads to conflict with normal human society and the utopian colony founded by him and other superhumans.