From Blood and Ash Summary and Theme
Penellaphe is the protagonist and first-person narrator. The
healing of Kingdom Solis depends on Penellaphe, the Maiden, who is meant to
initiate the first Ascension since The War of Two Kings, elevating Lord and
Ladies in Waiting and herself to a higher social status. During the war, the
Kingdom Solis triumphed over the Kingdom Atlantia. Residual anxiety and
political strife still plague the kingdom, as Descenters believe Prince Casteel
of Atlantia, or the Dark One, is the rightful heir to the throne. With only one
year until her Ascension, Penellaphe wants to experience life. In disguise, she
visits the Red Pearl, a decadent nightclub, where she meets Hawke Flynn, a
Royal Guard. Hawke, not knowing who Penellaphe is, kisses her. Penellaphe
sneaks back to the castle when Hawke leaves the room.
Penellaphe has “the touch,” a power that allows her to feel
the physical and emotional pain of others. With her heightened sense of
empathy, she questions the ethics and morals of the Ascended, who rule over the
numerous jurisdictions of Kingdom Solis. Penellaphe and Vikter, her guard and
mentor, illegally participate in death with dignity, a group of people who
believe that those who dedicate their lives to the Rise, where creatures called
Craven lurk, should die in peace. Should a Craven bite a mortal, the mortal is
cursed to become a Craven. Penellaphe uses her gift to ease these cursed men’s
pain while euthanizing them with her bloodstone knife.
Penellaphe lives under the Duke, a cruel Ascended who teaches
Penellaphe “lessons” through abuse. The Duke summons Penellaphe and reveals
that Hawke will be her new personal guard. He is allowed to behold the Maiden
unveiled. Hawke tells Penellaphe that she, even scarred, is beautiful and vows
to protect her. Despite having protection because of her status, Penellaphe is
an adept fighter, as Vikter taught her how to wield her bloodstone knife.
During final Rite before Penellaphe’s Ascension is underway,
all third sons and daughters of the citizens are presented; their family is
required to give them in service to the gods. Afterward, Penellaphe asks Hawke
to escort her to her chambers. The two pass the Queen’s Garden, and Hawke asks
Penellaphe to join him under the weeping willow. Penellaphe wonders why Hawke
acts so familiar with her and fears that such behavior will deem her unworthy
of Ascension. Hawke replies that her title means nothing to him; all he cares
about is who she is on the inside. Vikter encounters them in the garden and
becomes infuriated. Penellaphe retaliates, stating that her whole life she has
been forced to live in solitude and confinement. She proclaims that she does
not want to Ascend.
From Blood and Ash Summary and Theme
Screams sound from the Great Hall, and Penellaphe finds the
Duke’s bloodied body hanging from the Rite banner. The red cane he used to beat
Penellaphe is stabbed through his heart. Chaos ensues as windows begin to
shatter and Descenters storm the hall. Penellaphe manages to find refuge in a
side room with her maid Tawny, Vikter, the Duchess, and Lord Mazeen. Penellaphe
and Vikter fight until the Descenters withdraw. Vikter turns to tell Penellaphe
he is proud of her, when a sword is thrust through his chest. Lord Mazeen,
another of Penellaphe’s abusers, jokes about Vikter’s death. Penellaphe,
overcome by anger, decapitates Lord Mazeen and stabs him multiple times.
Worried that Penellaphe is no longer safe at the Castle
Teerman, the Queen summons the Maiden to the Capital. Hawke, along with other
Royal Guards, accompanies Penellaphe on her journey. As she watches the castle
shrink in the distance, Penellaphe vows to believe in herself and her abilities
instead of the gods’ will. The group travels through the deadly Blood Forest
until they come to New Haven.
Hawke comes to check on Penellaphe at the New Haven estate,
and the two talk about her special gift. Hawke and Penellaphe have sex. The
next morning, Penellaphe declares that she is no longer the Chosen One but
“Poppy.” She decides that Ascending is not in her nature, and that she has
finally found love. Just as she decides to inform Hawke of her decision,
Phillips, a guard, rushes into her room. He is convinced that Hawke and Kieran
have led them into a trap. The two encounter Kieran in the corridor, who
transforms into a wolven—a long-thought extinct werewolf-like creature.
Phillips and Penellaphe race toward the stables, and Hawke
kills Phillips. Hawke is really the Dark One, Prince Casteel Da’Neer of the
Atlantians. He has captured Penellaphe to use her as ransom for his brother,
Malik, who is enslaved by the Ascended. Hawke reveals that the Ascended are
vamprys—once mortals who drank the blood of an Atlantian and now thirst for the
blood of mortals. When an Ascended feasts without draining a mortal, it results
in Craven. The third children of the villagers are their victims. The Ascended
enslave Atlantians to use their blood for ascending other mortals into vamprys:
the eventual fate of the Maiden and Ladies in Wait.
Penellaphe is quickly overcome by a rebellious faction of
Casteel’s party, and she sustains a fatal wound. Casteel has her drink his
Atlantian blood, saving her. Penellaphe is overcome with the revelations and
Casteel’s betrayal, and she stabs him with her bloodstone dagger and tries to
run away. Prince Casteel catches her, stating that Atlantians do not die from a
stab to the heart. He bites Penellaphe, tasting her blood, and realizes that
she is half Atlantian.
Prince Casteel informs Penellaphe and the Descenters that he
plans to take Penellaphe back to Atlantia and marry her.
From Blood and Ash Character Analysis
PENELLAPHE BALFOUR
Penellaphe Balfour is the first-person protagonist of From
Blood and Ash. She has the green eyes of her father and the oval-shaped face of
her mother (113). Penellaphe, the Maiden, destined to Ascend on her 19th
birthday, has always wanted something more than a life of solitude. The first
Maiden since the end of The War of Two Kings, her Ascension will be the largest
ever recorded. She represents a new generation of Ascended, with hundreds of
Ladies and Lords in Wait Ascending alongside her. The loss of Penellaphe’s
parents at a young age greatly shapes her as a character. Her parent’s epic
love story inspires Penellaphe to fight for a better life and to believe that
true love exists. The memory of her parents motivates Penellaphe to preserver
through the challenges faced in her journey towards self-acceptance.
Penellaphe’s scars define her, and her body functions as a
record of her life. She has scars from the Duke’s abuse and from the night her
parents died, when she survived the bite of a Craven. The left side of her face
is covered with scars, whereas the right resembles her beautiful mother. The
outer duality of Penellaphe’s face is the physical manifestation of her inner
turmoil. Unsure if Ascending is in her nature, Penellaphe struggles to
reconcile her inner desires with her role in society. The Bloodstone dagger is
her favorite weapon. A gift from Vikter, it allows Penellaphe to feel strong
and independent and allows Penellaphe to take her safety into her own hands.
As Penellaphe’s relationship with Hawke progresses, so does
her sense of liberation. When she becomes intimate with Hawke she declares,
“This was my choice. I was reclaiming my life […]” (384). Penellaphe decides
that, not only will she not Ascend, but that Ascending is not in her nature.
This is an important distinction because it implies a more advanced
understanding of herself. Penellaphe does not just know what she wants, but she
knows who she is. Penellaphe severs herself from the “chains I never chose to
wear” (378).
Penellaphe’s strongest character trait is empathy, which
manifests in her special gift to feel the pain of others. She hopes to one day
use her powers to help people (379). Penellaphe possess a rebellious streak and
is stubborn to a fault. She cares deeply for her loved ones and would put her
life on the line to save them. She values feeling strong and despises
situations where she is helpless. She desires a true love like the one her
parents shared. At the end of the novel, we learn that she is half Atlantian.
PRINCE CASTEEL DA’NEER (HAKE FLYNN)
Prince Casteel Da’Neer breaches the Kingdom Solis under the
alias Hawke Flynn. Incredibly handsome, the Ladies in Wait swoon over him.
Penellaphe calls him beautiful and remarks on, “the planes and angles of his
face” that make her, “yearn for some talent with a brush or a pen” (32). Being
Atlantian, he also possesses superhuman abilities, such as heightened senses
and increased speed and strength.
Prince Casteel is in a constant state of anguish over the
enslavement of his brother, an anguish that feels like “chips of sharp ice”
(33). It’s his desire to save Malik that initially facilitates his relationship
with Penellaphe. He cares very little for the laws and gods of the Ascended. He
has no concern for Penellaphe’s title, which forbids her from forming any level
of familiarity with others. Prince Casteel’s non-conformity matches well with
Penellaphe’s desire to escape her role as Maiden. Prince Casteel makes
Penellaphe feel loved and beautiful, two things no one has ever made her feel
before. He worships her scarrs, viewing them as an extension of her beauty. He
protects Penellaphe from the abuse of Priestess Analia and the Duke, creating a
safe environment for her to explore herself and the world around her.
Despite his physical perfection, Prince Casteel does possess
character flaws. Prince Casteel is the paragon of sexuality. While he does
sexually liberate Penellaphe, he is aware that his sexual desires often get the
best of him. He is aware of his “limitations” and knows that his need for
Penellaphe is “far too great” (383). Prince Casteel is promiscuous and
incredibly flirtatious by nature. He allows Penellaphe to be intimate with him
despite knowing that he will soon use her as ransom for his brother.
Prince Casteel’s dedication to protecting Penellaphe leads
him to enact vengeance on anyone who lays a hand on her. While this trait can
be positive, for example when he murders the Duke, it can also be very
negative, like the tragic death of Mr. Tulis. We see the negative side of his
protective nature when he murders all of the Descenters who attacked Penellaphe
in her holding cell. These men are Prince Casteel’s followers, who are
desperate to be liberated from an oppressive society, but none of this matters
to Casteel when Penellaphe’s safety is at risk. When she asks how long Jericho
is to be tortured Prince Casteel responds, “Until I know for sure no one will
dare to lift a hand against you again” (486). Prince Casteel’s actions stand in
stark contrast to Hawke’s belief in death with dignity. Penellaphe reflects
that a very different man sits beside her now.
VIKTER WARDWELL
Vikter Wardwell is a Royal Guard for the Rise, duty bound to
protect the Maiden. He has been Penellaphe’s personal guard for years,
remaining a constant in her life through the deaths of Hannes and Rylan. A
father figure to Penellaphe, Vikter cares deeply for her. He gives her combat
lessons and gifts her a Bloodstone dagger. Vikter values greatly Penellaphe’s
ability to defend herself. He is well aware that a time may come where she must
fight for her life. A loyal Royal Guard, Vikter is always prepared to fight for
the Maiden and for the crown. He possesses a serious demeaner and a determined
work ethic.
It’s this same level of commitment to the crown which
prevents Vikter from stopping the Duke’s abuse outright. While he is fine with
liberating Penellaphe in private, for example their combat lessons and death
with dignity, he fails to defend her publicly. Aware of his complacency in
Penellaphe’s abuse, he begs for her forgiveness before he dies. In his death,
Vikter redeems his shortcomings and makes amends for failing Penellaphe.
TAWNY LYON
A Lady in Wait and Penellaphe’s personal maid, Tawny is one
of Penellaphe’s closest confidants. The daughter of a successful merchant, Tawny
was given to the court at the age of 13. “Tall and lithe,” Tawny has, “rich
brown skin and beautiful brown eyes” (50). Her personality is bubbly and
energetic. She enjoys dancing and decorating masks with the other Ladies in
Wait. A strong sense of humor, Tawny often teases Penellaphe for liking Hawke.
Tawny shares in Penellaphe’s rebellious nature, and the two routinely cause
mischief around the castle. She tries to uplift Penellaphe’s spirits whenever
she can, encouraging her to embrace her unveiled face and stunning physique
before the Rite (264). Tawny also serves as a constant for Penellaphe,
reassuring her that their friendship is real.
Tawny symbolizes someone who is content with her status at
the Castle Teerman. She is afraid of the world outside the Rise and would much
prefer that Penellaphe be a bit more cautious. She begs Penellaphe to stay
inside the castle, where it’s safe, instead of fighting alongside the Royal
Guards. She rejects Penellaphe’s invitation to travel to the capital because “going
out there like this” terrifies her (332). Tawny feels excitement about her
Ascension, the starkest contrast between her and Penellaphe.
THE DUKE, DORIAN TEERMAN OF MASADONIA
Duke Teerman is an Ascended who resides over the Castle
Teerman. Penellaphe describes him as a “pale snake” she’d once seen as a child:
“Beautiful to look upon, but its bite dangerous and often deadly” (128). He is
depicted as sprawled about arrogantly in his office chair while nurturing a
drink. The Duke conducts Penellaphe’s lessons, where he beats her with his red
cane as punishment for her unbecoming behavior. He teases Penellaphe for her scars
and makes her feel guilty for her parents’ death. He rules with a definitive
head, denying the Tulis family their request to keep their child with a voice
that “brooked no argument” (132).
Lacking morals, he searches for self-gratification wherever
he can find it, looking to dominate others around him to prove his own
self-worth. He is ultimately held accountable for his abuse of Penellaphe and his
tyrannical rein over the Castle Teerman when Prince Casteel shoves his red cane
through his heart. Entitled and prideful, the Duke acts as an antagonist.
THE DUCHESS TEERMAN OF MASADONIA
Eloquent and sophisticated, The Duchess Teerman rules with a
softer hand than her husband. When she speaks, “she sounded like someone who’d
never raised their voice or hand in anger” (129). Despite offering some refuge
for Penellaphe while at the Castle Teerman, she is still complacent in the
abuse and the crimes of Kingdom Solis. It’s alluded that the Duke abuses the
Duchess as well, prompting Penellaphe to conclude that being an Ascended,
“didn’t mean she held power over her husband” (233). The Duchess is an
intelligent woman with a calm demeaner. Her ruthless nature shines forth in her
lack of sympathy over the death of the Duke and Lord Mazeen.
LORD BRANDOLE MAZEEN
Despite others seeing Lord Mazeen as “handsome and tall,”
Penellaphe knows this Ascended’s true nature (79). A “bully” to Penellaphe and
her brother Ian, the Lord still holds a grudge over a lost card game to the
siblings years ago. He sits in on the Duke’s lessons, holding Penellaphe’s hands
down while she is beaten. He finds gratification in the misfortune of others
and possesses a high opinion of himself. Penellaphe suspects Lord Mazeen is
responsible for the death of Malessa Axton, a Lady in Wait. Overcome by
bloodlust, the Lord serves as a secondary antagonist in the novel. Patronizing
and emotionless, Penellaphe frees herself from the Lord’s abuse when she
brutally decapitates him after he ridicules Vikter’s death.
KIERAN CONTOU
Kieran Contou is a wolven, a species previously believed to
be extinct. He entered the Castle Teerman under the guise of a Royal Guard and
is appointed to escort Penellaphe to the Capital. He is dedicated to serving
Prince Casteel Da’Neer. Penellaphe assumes that Casteel and Kieran have formed
a sacred bond with one another, “confident that a Prince was of the class that
wolven would be bonded to” (477). When in wolven form, Kieran is vastly
stronger and faster than any mortal.
JERICHO
Jericho first appears as the unknown man who murders Rylan
and attempts to kidnap Penellaphe in the Queen’s Garden. He wants nothing more
than to torture and murder Penellaphe. Jericho has already been disciplined
once for harming Penellaphe, which resulted in him losing his hand. Yet his
aggressive and erratic behavior lacks any sensible logic. Disloyal to his
Prince, Jericho does whatever he wishes. He pursues his own personal
gratification at the risk of further punishment. Jericho’s obsession with
killing Penellaphe results in his own horrible, slow death. The torturing of
Jericho shows Penellaphe a cruel side of Prince Casteel, prompting her to
remind him of death with dignity.
IAN BALFOUR
Ian Balfour is Penellaphe Balfour’s brother. His Ascension
was a special case, granted by the Queen because of his relation to the Maiden.
While Ian does not make an appearance, we come to know him through stories
Penellaphe tells. He writes Penellaphe letters each month filled with tales of
the “Stroud Sea” and “befriending the water folk” (21). With letters acting as
their only form of communication, Penellaphe often wonders what Ian’s life is
like now, if he is happy in his marriage, or if he walks in the sunlight. Ian
protected Penellaphe when they lived in the Castle Teerman together, telling
her funny stories and playing with her under the willow tree in the Queen’s
Garden (287).
MR. TULIS
Mr. Tulis begins the novel as a citizen of Kingdom Solis. Him
and his wife petition the court to absolve their third son from partaking in
the Rite. They are denied their request, and Penellaphe senses their hardship.
Determined to keep their son, the couple seek help from Descenters and escape
to New Haven. Overcome with anger towards his kingdom, Mr. Tulis seeks to
murder Penellaphe along with a group led by Jericho. He is bitter towards the
Ascended, and views Penellaphe as “their whole future” (442). Mr. Tulis lands
his dagger in Penellaphe’s side, but his victory is short lived. Prince Casteel
murders Mr. Tulis for harming Penellaphe, and Penellaphe finds his story
tragic. Mr. Tulis represents the average citizen who suffered from the effects
of a war he did not start. Through his death, Penellaphe realizes Prince
Casteel’s ruthless ways.
From Blood and Ash Themes
SELF-EXPLORATION AND CHARACTER GROWTH
As From Blood and Ash begins, Penellaphe seeks small ways to
temporarily escape her restrictive role as the Maiden. Armentrout first
introduces the reader to Penellaphe while she is seeking adventure at the Red
Pearl. Penellaphe, curious by nature, desires to learn about the world she has
been shielded from, or rather, veiled from. She rids herself of the typical
Maiden garments and instead wears a “white domino mask” she’d found “discarded
in the Queen’s Garden” and a plain cloak. Further, she uses an alias, “Poppy”
which only her closest friends and confidants call her. These tiny movements
away from being the Maiden, such as changing her clothes and going by a
nickname, act as early indicators of Penellaphe’s potential to grow as an
individual. The mask she currently wears is even more revealing than her usual
veil, which only allows her “lips and jaw” to be seen (17), representing a slow
and minor revelation of Penellaphe’s true self.
Her desire to live her own life before she is given to the
gods prompts Penellaphe to engage with Hawke more than the Maiden should. While
Penellaphe does not actively facilitate flirting with Hawke, she does wonder
why she hasn’t left the private room. Hawke aids Penellaphe in realizing her
true intentions in visiting the Red Pearl, and she concedes that she did not
just come here to talk, she came here, “to live. To experience. To choose”
(42). Penellaphe’s self-exploration is not without consequence and if the gods
deem her unworthy to Ascend, she will be exiled from the kingdom. Yet, a
traitorous spark of hope fills her, and the reader sees a glimmer of the future
Penellaphe desires.
Back in her life as the Maiden, Vikter provides Penellaphe an
outlet to express herself. He secretly gives her combat training and allows for
her to accompany him to rid the town of cursed. These experiences are pivotal
in Penellaphe’s character development, as they allow for a certain level of
independence. The ability to protect herself not only makes Penellaphe an ally
in battle but it makes her less dependent on her Royal Guards to feel safe and
secure. Vikter gifts Penellaphe with a Bloodstone dagger, a weapon she always
wears strapped to her thigh. With the bloodstone dagger, Penellaphe is free to
explore the kingdom, and thus herself, while maintaining a certain level of
safety. Vikter also allows Penellaphe to take part in death with dignity—or
providing the cursed with private deaths. This inclusion helps Penellaphe’s
sense of morals grow and evolve and develops her already empathetic
disposition.
Penellaphe comes to know her own nature through gaining an understanding of her gift. Able to sense the pain of others, Penellaphe has been restricted from birth to use her gift until she has been deemed worthy of it by the gods. Reflecting on her gift, Penellaphe tells Hawke, “Sure, curiosity often drove me to use it, but it felt like going against nature to deny it and keep it locked down” (378). Penellaphe’s gift is not only the physical manifestation of her great empathy, but her own inner nature fighting to be set free.
By the end of the novel, Penellaphe makes the decision to be
with Hawke and to not Ascend. She realizes that she has slowly been reclaiming
her life, and it “had started long before him” (384). In choosing to lose her
virginity, Penellaphe renounces the very attribute that defines the Maiden: her
purity. She proclaims that the opinion of the Queen and the gods are inconsequential,
she was no longer the Maiden in her eyes. Her decisions signify the casting
away of her childhood values and establishing a sense of self that Penellaphe
builds rather than the societal structures that influenced her upbringing. Her
growth closely parallels a coming-of-age character arc wherein the character
questions her beliefs, struggles with alternative beliefs (as we see in her
attempt to kill Hawke), and finally identifies herself as changed.
RELIGION AS A MEANS FOR CONTROL
Religion, as a policing and fear inducing mechanism,
underlies almost the entirety of the novel. During The War of Two Kings,
Penellaphe is taught that the King and Queen of Kingdom Solis received the gods
Blessing. This Blessing allowed for them to drink the blood of the gods so that
they may share in their strength and defeat the Atlantians. As such, the
Ascended are believed to be handpicked by the divine, sharing in the blood of
the gods in remembrance of the first Blessing.
The idea of the Ascended as chosen causes inequality within the kingdom. Despite their ruthless abuse and lack of morals, their status as chosen absolves them of all consequences or adherence to any set of values. Penellaphe wonders, “how horrible the Atlantians must’ve been for men like the Duke of Masadonia and Lord Mazeen to receive the Blessing of Ascension from the gods” (173). Yet, Penellaphe does not reap the same benefits from her Chosen One status. Instead, it subjectifies her to more pain and suffering. Armentrout shows that being chosen by the gods is an empty and arbitrary concept, as it offers Penellaphe no safety from abuse but provides the Ascended with self-proclaimed superiority.
Claiming to communicate with the gods, the Duke and Duchess
use their chosen positions to ensure the populaces participation in the Rite.
The Duchess proclaims that the gods, “are not pleased with recent events” and
they “fear that the good people of Solis have begun to lose faith” (219-220).
The Ascended have managed to create “an entire religion” in which “an entire
kingdom” willingly hands over “their children under the pretense of honoring
the gods” (430). Prince Casteel illuminates the policing effects of fear and
religion, explicitly stating that “brothers will turn on brother if any of them
refuse to give away their child” (430). The fear of losing favor with the gods
is a consequence of knowing that one’s chosen status can be taken away in an
instant. We see this effect in Penellaphe, who fears she will be found
unworthy, and the people, who fear Craven attacks if the gods abandon them.
Inexplicitly, Armentrout shows that the Ascended are afraid of losing their
status and power as well. Desperate to secure a continuous supply of mortals to
feast on, the Ascended depend upon the people’s subordination to facilitate
their lifestyle.
Armentrout suggests that being a part of an elite and
prosperous society chosen by the gods does not shelter you from abuse,
oppression, or hardship. Even the Duchess, who benefits greatly from society, is
subjected to her husband’s wrath. For the people and Penellaphe, being chosen
only serves as a means for the Ascended to restrict certain desires and to
withhold certain truths. In exposing the illusion of being chosen by the gods,
Armentrout reveals a society full of inequalities and evil intentions.
THE EQUALIZING NATURE OF DEATH
Death with dignity is the unspoken organization of people who
believe cursed deserve to die privately and in peace. It’s a retaliation
against the Ascended’s disgust and public humiliation of Huntsman and Royal
Guards who become infected by Cravens while protecting the kingdom. This
coalition of mortals, Royal Guards, and even Descenters and Atlantians raises
many ethical and moral dilemmas. The unlikely grouping of species and beliefs
sheds light on the desire for equality that Armentrout’s alludes to, furthering
the idea that differences can be overcome. Death with dignity represents the
budding rebellion within Kingdom Solis against the Ascended. It’s a direct
response to their treatment of mortals as mere pawns to fulfill their blood
lust tendencies.
Death with dignity becomes an ongoing theme, referring to far
more than just the organization. Death, for Penellaphe, “always found a way in”
(18). From her parents’ death to the deaths of her Royal Guards and the cursed,
death underlies Penellaphe entire life. Death is “constant” and reveals itself
when one least expects it, a theme Armentrout utilizes to portray the equalizing
nature of death (42). The passing of characters such as Rylan, the Duke, and
Lord Mazeen are sudden, abrupt, and shocking.
Rylan’s death destroys a beautiful moment between him and
Penellaphe. The two are in the Queen’s Garden, admiring the “night-blooming
roses” (99) when Rylan dies instantly; “dead before he even hit the ground”
(100). Suddenly ripped from the beautiful scene, Armentrout shows that death
corrupts all things, even beauty. Rylan’s death continues to corrupt the
beautiful night-blooming roses even long after he has passed. Memory of his
death has ruined Penellaphe’s favorite area of the Queen’s Garden. Now it is a
“place of nightmares” (281). Hawke urges Penellaphe to fill the place where
Rylan died with new memories, but she still cannot bring herself to visit the
night-blooming roses.
The Duke and Lord Mazeen’s deaths refute the idea of death
with dignity. Through their deaths, Armentrout argues that sometimes morals
need to be adjusted so that justice and freedom can prevail. In denying these
antagonists a dignified death, Armentrout is able to make them rich with
symbolic meaning. Penellaphe likens the Duke’s body to the body of a Craven in
his death. Equating the two, Hawke alludes to the fact that the Ascended are
responsible for the creation of Craven. Lord Mazeen’s body becomes symbolic of
Penellaphe’s abuse. The hand she cuts off become the hand which ripped, “away
the least shred of modesty I had […]” (321). Both Penellaphe and Hawke feel no
regret for their murders and even express joy about them. Penellaphe must
suppress a “very inappropriate giggle” when first seeing the Duke’s dead body
(306). After murdering Lord Mazeen she thinks, “I would do it again. Gods, I
wish I could” exposing the very real and very intense relief one may feel when
liberated from their abuser (324). In this instance, death no longer destroys
something beautiful, it acts as a catalyst for a new beginning.
ALSO READ:-
- A Touch of Darkness summary and theme
- A Little Life Summary and Theme
- All The Bright Places Summary and Theme
Whatsapp :- 8130208920
Youtube :- Myexamsolution
0 comments:
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.