Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Six of Crows, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Greed
Friendship and Difference
Trauma, the Past, and Moving Forward
Identity, Values, and Growing Up
Summary
Analysis
Matthias, Jesper, Kaz, and Wylan jog across the embassy roof toward the drüskelle sector, discussing the water features everywhere, which honor Djel; and that Matthias will continue to cooperate because he loves Nina. Matthias knows this is true, but it’s still disconcerting. This place used to be home, but now, he’s too caught up in the Dregs—and Nina. At the edge of the roof, Kaz and Matthias climb down so they’re on the narrow shore surrounding the ice moat. Supposedly only worthy people are supposed to be able to cross it, but in actuality there’s a wolf carved on the wall, denoting a hidden glass bridge. Drüskelle have to cross the bridge as part of their initiation, and older drüskelle tell new recruits how to find it—if they want the youngsters to pass training. Brum told Matthias about it, and now, Matthias shows Kaz.
Matthias’s identity and his loyalty are shifting. While he once embraced Fjerda’s culture and the drüskelle goal of exterminating Grisha, he’s now in love with Nina and is beginning to recognize the violence that underlies the drüskelle goal. As Matthias shows Kaz the bridge, he continues to align himself with the Dregs and less with the drüskelle. Additionally, the drüskelle organization itself seems very much like an old boys’ club; membership isn’t based on merit, but rather on a person’s connections. This creates a situation ripe for abuse and manipulation.
Themes
Kaz and Matthias coat themselves in chalky powder from the wall so the guards won’t see them. Then they cross the bridge. As they walk through the icy water, Kaz makes rude jokes about how silly Hringkälla’s rituals are, though when Matthias asks, he insists he does have something “sacred” in his life. Once they’re across the moat, Kaz picks the lock and explains to Matthias that he’s so good at locks and sleight of hand because he loves puzzles. But two drüskelle guards come around the corner just then, and Matthias and Kaz disarm and knock them out.
Kaz may insist he has something “sacred” in his life, but it’s not clear if that thing is greed or revenge—or perhaps Inej. And since Kaz is so closed off about this sort of thing, it’s likely readers will never know for sure. Seeing everything as a puzzle allows Kaz to feel in control, which in turn helps him keep moving forward without feeling hopeless.
Themes
Matthias has the drüskelle’s rifle, but Kaz didn’t take the other guard’s weapon. Matthias considers shooting Kaz. The unconscious drüskelle are supposed to be Matthias’s brothers. Now, it’s like he’s breaking into his own home. Kaz, on the other hand, is selfish—but he’s honored his bargain with Matthias every step of the way. Matthias lowers the gun, and Kaz implies that this was a test—he wanted to see if Matthias was loyal to him. He figured Matthias was on his side, he says, because Matthias “stink[s] of decency.” Then, he flips the guard’s gun up in an instant—showing Matthias that he could’ve shot him at any time—and suggests they get the guards’ uniforms on.
This passage suggests that Kaz sees Matthias himself as a puzzle to solve, just like everything else. This situation with the guns allows Kaz to manufacture a situation where Matthias can show him for sure that he’s loyal to Nina (and by extension, Kaz) and not the drüskelle. While this makes Kaz appear even more cold and calculating, it nevertheless does prove that Matthias does indeed “stink of decency” (in that he keeps his promises and won’t betray Nina, his love).
Themes
