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Chapter 18
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Girl of Ink & Stars, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Myth and Storytelling
Authoritarianism vs. True Leadership
Fate, Choice, and Responsibility
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
While Lupe gathers the scraps of Ma’s map, Isabella realizes she will have to guide them through the labyrinth on memory and instinct alone. She closes her eyes and remembers what passageway they need to take. They begin walking again, and the path grows so tight that have to crawl. Lupe, who is in front, suddenly disappears over a ledge, but she calls back to Isabella that the drop is short. Isabella nervously drops down, and when she stands, she finds herself in a cave of crystals. She is excited because she knows that the crystals must have been formed by a fire pit, just like in the myth of Arinta.
Isabella knows it is her responsibility to guide her and Lupe to safety. The trip through the lair is symbolic, an important step in Isabella’s figurative coming-of-age journey. At this point, the line between fate and choice becomes blurry. Isabella suspects she is living out Arinta’s fate, destined to follow in the girl-warrior’s footsteps. But she also makes decisions that lead her and Lupe closer to Yote’s lair.
Active
Themes
Isabella tells Lupe that they are in the place where Arinta battled Yote in ancient times and that the red circle on Ma’s map must signify his lair. Doubtful, Lupe says it’s just a story, and Isabella corrects her, saying it’s a myth. Lupe asks what the difference is, and Isabella explains that myths are based on things that actually happened, but so long ago that people no longer believe them. Lupe thinks Isabella is acting childishly by believing in the myth of Arinta and Yote. Isabella responds that she’s going to the lair with or without Lupe, but before she can leave, there’s an earthquake.
