Theme

[Ghanderflaffle]

I have a school project over a choice book and I, of course, picked RoW. But for it I need the theme and I'm really bad at picking out a theme. So, what are some of your themes? It might be easier to pick a certain plotline and do the theme for that line, since they're more separate in this book. Any ideas? 

[Nathrangking]

Navani's plotline of titles not defining leadership , but rather rising against adversity and pressing forward even when it is hard to do so.

[Karger]

You might want to stick to a single plot line.  Themes include failure, imposture syndrome, redemption, worthiness, unfairness, loss, and friendship.

[Dreamwa1ker]

1 hour ago, Karger said:

You might want to stick to a single plot line.  Themes include failure, imposture syndrome, redemption, worthiness, unfairness, loss, and friendship.

Agreed that would be best approach. I also see a theme in there of technological advances having ethical or moral implications, can be used for both good and ill. (Navani/Raboniel/Sibling plot)

From Kaladin and other storylines, I also saw a strong theme of listening to and seeing value in the marginalized or those who don't normally have a voice. See Rlain, Dabbid, Maya, the people in care of the Devotary of Mercy.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Dreamwa1ker

[Dreamwa1ker]

Oh also parent-child relationships, especially father-son expectations on both Kaladin and Adolin storylines.

[Philomath]

I like the idea of “worthiness” as a theme. It ties in well with a lot of the arcs actually. Navani being worthy of considering herself a great scholar in her own right and in bonding the Sibling. Kaladin and Shallan in being worthy of good things happening in their lives despite their flaws and weaknesses. Rlain bonding a spren who found him worthy of his own merits. Adolin having worth despite him being different than Dalinar’s expectations. Teft being worthy of love and forgiveness. Jasnah trying to prove her worth to some people through fighting in battle as a woman (despite the fact that it doesn’t actually effect her worth.) And then contrasted to their many foil characters who have decided for one reason or another that some things aren’t worth anything. Aren’t worth saving or caring about. Everyone has worth and value. 

[Elegy]

Liberation is an important theme for sure. The main plotline is about freeing the occupied Urithiru, which both Kaladin and Navani work on hard throughout the book. With this, they also want to free the Sibling, who is kind of like a hostage to the Fused, and of course the Radiants that are captured for pretty much all of the book.

Venli's whole arc is about liberation, since she is the Willshaper and her whole progress is built around it. Most obviously, she frees Lift, but also Leshwi and the other Fused that finally decide to side against Odium after 7000 years.

Eshonai's wish is to be free to explore the world.

Lasting Integrity is described as kind of a huge prison, and the honorspren isolate themselves in there, a process that is ended by Adolin. Adolin's punishment was going to be imprisonment but he escaped that. His bond with Maya seems to have freed her of some of the limitations she had as a Deadeye, and she insisted that the spren of the Recreance made a free choice instead of being forced into it by the Radiants.

Shallan's way of shutting her other personalities up is locking them up, which she does as she loses it towards the end.

Kelek's aim is to be free from the system - the Willshaper Herald, fittingly. The Ghostbloods, however, want to imprison him in a dagger (well, because their master wants to be free as well).

Jasnah wants to end slavery and eventually monarchy, both ways of liberating a people.

And lastly, the anti-Light is a way to free the Fused from the war once and for all. When Raboniel kills her daughter to end her suffering, she says: "No more rebirth. No more Returns. Free at last,my baby. Free."

[Kingsdaughter613]

The book’s theme is Choice and accepting others right to Choose.