45 pages • 1 hour read
P. Djèlí ClarkRing Shout
Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Leaf-Shaped Sword
Content Warning: This section discusses anti-Black racism and violence, enslavement, and hate crimes such as lynching.
The leaf-shaped sword is a symbol of hate, psychological fragility, the power of facing trauma, and betrayal. An African chief-turned-enslaved-blacksmith created the sword, forging it out of the anger of all the people who betrayed their fellow people of the African continent by selling them into slavery and the suffering of enslaved people who sought revenge. The sword sings the suffering of these chiefs and other people who endured the horrors of enslavement. Maryse Boudreaux is the wielder of the sword, which feeds off her trauma to encourage her to engage in ever-greater killing and acts of violence. The sword is a tool that reshapes the consciousness of Maryse by making her more prone to violence as the answer in every situation.
When the sword appears to Maryse on the day her family is killed by the Ku Kluxes and Butcher Clyde, it is a symbol of the fear and anger that her trauma leaves her with. When the sword breaks, it is a symbol of how damaging Maryse’s pursuit of vengeance has been to her psyche. When the sword is made whole in the realm of the Night Doctors, it is a symbol of how empowered Maryse is once she faces her trauma. The sword is also a symbol of betrayal in that Maryse’s ownership of the blade comes about because the aunties lie to her about her potential to become a killer and a champion for Butcher Clyde and the Cyclops’s side.
The Ring Shout
The Ring Shout is a symbol of cultural heritage in the novella. According to the notations on Shouts, the ritual has its origins in the world that enslaved people made. Shouts serve as a means for passing on the history of the resilience, cleverness, and struggles of enslaved people. For example, the “Read ’em, John, Read ’em” Shout memorializes how enslaved people learned about and celebrated an important historic event, their emancipation from slavery.
On Nana Jean’s farm specifically, the Shouts symbolize connection. This symbolism is especially clear during the Shout to mark the death of Sadie. The Shout allows the community to grieve together as they try to come to terms with Sadie’s death. Finally, the Shout is a symbol of the power of community. It is only through the collective effort of the Shout ritual that Nana Jean gains the power she needs to do magic.
The Ku Kluxes
The Ku Kluxes are a symbol of white supremacist beliefs and hatred. Their connection to white supremacy is reflected in the Klan garb they wear and their propensity to pursue Black Americans when they hunt. The characteristics of the Ku Kluxes make clear that Clark’s portrayal of white supremacist beliefs is a negative one. Racism and white supremacy make people monstrous. People who hate, especially those who engage in acts of racism and anti-Black violence, are especially vulnerable to infection by the Ku Kluxes and the Grand Cyclops. They are highly susceptible because it takes a weak and irrational mind to believe in white supremacy, according to Butcher Clyde, who sees the Ku Kluxes as something akin to dogs.
Related Titles
By P. Djèlí Clark
