The Spear Cuts Through Water

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, child abuse, suicidal ideation, and cursing.

“The Moon would bathe the Water in its radiance, and the Water would dance, with its ebb and flow, to the Moon’s suggestion. And though they occupied different spheres, they were able to visit one another through less direct means, for there is no barrier in this life that love cannot overcome.”

Lola tells the story of the Moon and the Water, a story defined by the motif of dancing as an expression of love. This story establishes important context for the conflict to come in the novel, including the Inverted Theater. It also introduces the topic of love, highlighting its significance to the narrative and contributing to the theme of Love as a Source of Conflict and Healing.

“Death spurned, a life stretched beyond its means. These were the recent dreams, intense and all-consuming, that had of late been haunting the emperor with their otherworldly promises, inspiring His coming Holy Pilgrimage. Imagery and portent that compelled Him to journey to the new lands across the sea to find the key to a door that had up till then remained locked, for all men; even those born of a god. The secret to eternal life.”

The emperor fears death and is determined to do everything in his power to avoid it. Significantly, the empress/Moon goddess is likewise afraid of dying, which is why she chose to fall from the sky and thus instigated the tragedy that unfolded. In mirroring each other, they suggest a universal fear of death, another thematic element of the novel.

“The other dreamers watch you in wonder as you hold the spear up, the blade glinting in the light of the braziers that now line the aisles of this amphitheater, the weapon handed down from parent to child in your family for many generations, going back even before the crossing of the Great and Unending Sea.”

The spear introduced in the first chapter, owned by both the grandchild and Araya, proves central to the plot, particularly Keema’s journey. It is also a crucial symbol of cultural heritage and familial lineage that connects the characters across space and time and supports the theme of