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
Zélie hears muffled screams for help as she and the elders reach the cellar. She finally sees Màri at the end of a hall. Kâmarū, Imani, and Khani free the maji and Zélie gathers Bimpe and Màri close. She soothes them, but then sees Inan run past. Zélie tells the girls to follow Imani and chases after Inan. She thinks of what he wrote in his letters and shouts for him. He stops and sends his soldiers on, and then raises his hands in surrender. Inan’s bronze coin burns around Zélie’s neck as she approaches.
The burning bronze coin around Zélie’s neck is doing what it’s supposed to: it’s reminding her that Inan is a human who’s trying to do the right thing, even if they find themselves on opposite sides and even if he’s done horrific things in the past. This will allow Zélie to draw on her own compassion as she finally speaks to Inan.
Themes
Quickly, Inan tells Zélie where the treasuries are and reveals that there are majacite stockpiles in each fortress, which soldiers will try to use against Zélie if she doesn’t destroy them first. Zélie asks why Inan is saying this, but Inan says that he and everyone else who know these secrets will be dead soon. He almost smiles as Zélie approaches. Zélie puts her hand on his chest, trembling. She begins to pull on his lifeforce and watches everything they shared. He apologizes and chokes. Roën shouts for Zélie and races for her with a mask. A wall of white chases him. He throws her the mask and falls, but before Zélie can put it on, the cloud of white arrives and she faints.
What Inan is doing here is very smart—he wants Zélie to be able to rule as effectively and non-violently as possible, so she needs this information. Regardless, Zélie still feels as though killing Inan and getting revenge for Baba’s death is absolutely necessary, given his crimes. It’s impossible to tell, however, if she finishes killing him here or not, given the white cloud’s mysterious approach.
Themes
