Seeking Zion
A major theme in this book is the search for Zion, or Heaven, on earth. The cartographer seems to think that this is a physical place he might be able to discover if he explores and maps the far reaches of the earth. The rastaman, however, has a different idea on the nature of Zion: it is reached by living in a selfless, joyful, "upfull" way, dwelling on goodness instead of the temptations of the material world. Zion is not a physical place, but a metaphysical one.
Jamaican Culture
As much of this book is set in Jamaica, and at least one of its main characters is Jamaican, there are many elements of Jamaican culture. One notable example is the author's liberal use of words from the Jamaican patois, which is essentially the slang of their dialect ("jah," "cyaa," "duh," "fi," "dinna," etc.). There are also several descriptions of places in Jamaica throughout the book, such as Swamp, Shotover, and Corn Puss Gap, all of which describe the place's history and anthropology rather than its geography. The rastaman is also an example of a Rastafarian, a member of the notably Jamaican religion that emphasizes love and the secured future of the black population.
Differing Perspectives
This book is an examination of the various perspectives with which people can look at the same place, thing, or idea. On a tangible level, the cartographer and the rastaman differ in how they look at various locations on the earth: the cartographer sees them as evidence from which one can shape his own life and draw on the wealth of history latent in the world's map (both literal and metaphorical). The rastaman, however, sees the world as "Babylon," condemning the actions of history and arguing that it is better to stay where you are and remain content rather than subscribing to a Babylonian imperialist view. More importantly, these characters have differing views about the nature of Zion, and their conversation leads to a clearer realization of its true nature, and the cartographer's physical theory begins to yield to the rastaman's metaphysical one.
