Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Children of Virtue and Vengeance, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power and Systems of Oppression
Cycles of Violence
Tradition and History
Love vs. Duty
Summary
Analysis
Amari knows that they’re in trouble: Roën and others like him could go to work for Queen Nehanda. She mutters that she’ll figure it out, but Tzain tells her to calm down. Wanting to comfort Zélie, Amari kneels down and promises to figure out an appropriate counterattack, but Zélie hopelessly says they have no chance. Neither Zélie nor Tzain are convinced. Amari realizes that Nehanda is what stands between unity and chaos, and so Nehanda has to die. Amari vows to kill Nehanda, but Tzain and Zélie insist that the nobles won’t fall into line. Zélie says that the issue is the monarchy, and the best thing to do is leave and find freedom elsewhere.
Zélie has a point about the nobles; it’s in their best interest to not support a revolution, as a revolution could jeopardize their business interests or connections at court that give them power. When Amari’s first thought is to kill Nehanda, it shows that she’s learned thus far that violence and killing are the only ways to get anything done. She doesn’t consider how to craft a peace treaty or engage in diplomacy—those things are foreign concepts in this violent world.
Themes
Amari counters that as queen, it’s her duty to serve and protect, even if no one wants her. Zélie screeches that Baba died to bring magic back and now, with magic, Nehanda is stronger than any maji. Amari sees Zélie’s point, but knows she can’t just back down. Tzain tries to calm everyone down, but Zélie insists that she can’t be on Amari’s side when Baba died so the tîtáns could rise. Zélie continues that Amari’s family is the reason her own is dead, and she insists that her scars are worse than Amari’s. Amari shoots back that Zélie’s parents loved her, while she had to kill Saran to survive. Tzain tries to intervene again, but stops when Zélie asks if he heard her screaming for him in the dome. She accuses him of choosing Amari and races off on Nailah.
Though Amari is right—both girls have suffered greatly at the hands of Amari’s family and because of the society that her family created—it’s still not fruitful for Zélie to essentially try to engage in this game of arguing over whose scars are worse. Both girls are victims, and both have a lot of work to do if they want to turn Orïsha into a place where others don’t have to suffer like this. However, Zélie takes the view she does because of continued loyalty to Baba. At this point, when Orïsha seems lost, Zélie’s relationships with dead family are seemingly all she has.
Themes
