53 pages • 1 hour read

Raybearer

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2020

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Drums

Drums appear frequently in the text in various capacities: as musical instruments, as modes of storytelling, and as objects of history. Because drums have the ability to channel and translate the stories of an individual or an entire people, they hold a power that is at once inspiring and fear-invoking. The implementation of the misguided Unity Edict demonstrates this dynamic, for the empire specifically names drums as objects to be confiscated from their “griots,” or storytellers. This decision implies an imperial level of recognition for the sheer power of stories and heritage that the drums represent. When Tarisai observes drums being forcibly taken from villagers in Nyamba, Sanjeet emphasizes that “[t]he drums carry their own stories” and that “Thaddace and the emperor didn’t want to risk” (204), allowing these stories to have a voice.

Significantly, the drum that Tarisai carries, which once belonged to the legendary female Raybearer, Empress Aiyetoro, has its own story and wants to share it with her. When Tarisai crosses the Bush, the drum takes on a life of its own, guiding Tarisai safely back to the path, just as ancestral stories are designed to guide the collective steps of a community. Thus, Tarisai understands that she is connected to the drum, which is trying to reveal its important history to her. When Tarisai discovers that the hidden masks of the empress and the princess are literally hidden inside Aietoro’s drum, this development also emphasizes the metaphorical connection between drums, songs, and stories—all of which play a part in preserving vital histories that must not be forgotten. Thus, Sanjeet is ultimately correct; the Emperor was right to be wary of drums, for they carry many histories inside, waiting for the right person to play them.

Hair

Hair, specifically Tarisai’s hair and the way it is styled, becomes emblematic of the dichotomy between control and freedom. When she and her council sisters are preparing for the Nu’ina Eve festival, for example, village women braid their hair into tight, neat rows adorned with threads. When Tarisai complains that the braids are too tight, the woman scoffs at her, reminding her that “Oluwan ladies rein every strand in place. Complete control” (148). In this moment, Tarisai’s hair is a representation of the empire’s rigid attempts at maintaining order among its citizens, even when such measures are uncomfortable or painful. Tarisai’s tightly braided hair also symbolizes her attempts to control herself and subdue her true nature. Likewise, as she travels away from the center of the empire and returns to her homeland, Tarisai’s hair loosens, unravels, and comes completely undone. She takes a bath at the behest of Mongwe the Hermit and decides to dunk her head under the water, enjoying how refreshing and comforting it feels. Finally, when Tarisai goes to say goodbye to the tutsu sprites and to make her last request for their help, they eagerly pull at her braids. Just as her hair is now “unbound,” Tarisai’s return to Swana helps to guide her toward the answers she seeks about herself and her destiny, and these answers will free her from the unfair burdens that have been placed upon her.

The Sunstone

During the Nu’ina Festival, Tarisai receives a token of a sunstone, which symbolizes “dominance.” This token is typically gendered male, and when Tarisai claims it from her wine gourd, the village elders are confused. In her case, they read the concept of dominance as Tarisai’s connection to the emperor, suggesting that she is destined to bear a powerful Raybearer son for the next emperor. Significantly, Tarisai dismisses this interpretation and declares, “I will bear fruit for Aritsar […] with my imperial scepter. As your High Lady Judge, equality and justice will be my children” (156-57). For Tarisai, the sunstone represents her own power, not the power that she will provide for someone else. More than anything, Tarisai’s sunstone foreshadows her own “dominance” and power as a Raybearer in her own right. When she initially selects the token, the village elders note that it is the stone that most often adorns the crowns of emperors. Thus, this scene foreshadows that Tarisai is destined to become the empress of Aritsar. The sunstone eventually gains an additional meaning when Mongwe the Hermit later tells Tarisai that sunstones symbolize the human will. As Mongwe states, “If you are tempted to do harm, a sunstone will not protect you. But it may make it easier, just a whit, to resist” (213). Thus Tarisai uses the sunstone as a ward or charm whenever she feels her murderous urges bubbling to the surface. Holding the stone grounds her and comforts her in these moments of weakness.