Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Girl Who Drank the Moon, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family and Love
Storytelling, Censorship, and Control
Memory, Forgetting, and the Future
Sorrow vs. Hope
Summary
Analysis
Paper birds swirl overhead and dive at Luna, Antain, and the madwoman. Luna rolls away as the birds swirl and land in a circle. Antain whimpers in fear, and Luna kicks his knife away. Luna promises that the birds won’t hurt him and then looks at the madwoman. She notices that the woman has a crescent moon birthmark on her forehead, and Luna’s heart calls “she is here.” The woman whispers, “she is here.” Luna remembers a woman with long black hair writhing, and asks the woman if they know each other. The madwoman says she has no name. She had one once, but now they call her “prisoner.” Antain recognizes the madwoman and the madwoman apologizes for his scars, but asks if he’s happier now. Antain explains that he was happy, but that his son will be sacrificed.
Again, the way that Luna and the madwoman’s hearts interact with each other makes it clear that within the world of the novel, the relationship between birth parents and their children is unbreakable, tangible, and magical. When Luna remembers her mother trying to protect her, it allows her to put these memories together with the woman in front of her. However, since the madwoman cannot remember her own name, Luna has to work harder to piece together where this woman fits into her life.
Themes
Antain looks from Luna to the madwoman. He notices their matching birthmarks as the swallow starts to peck him. Luna says that she’s not a witch and has never taken babies. The madwoman says that Luna is the baby as the swallow squawks. Luna shouts for Xan and meets the bird’s eye. Suddenly, she remembers the madwoman, Gherland, and Xan feeding her starlight and moonlight. She remembers Glerk turning into a bunny and Xan trying to teach her about magic. Luna holds out her hands and focuses all her love, worry, and frustrations on Xan. Her toes buzz as Xan turns into her human form. There are tears in Xan’s eyes as she collapses.
When Antain recognizes the madwoman and Luna, it becomes clear that the Witch as he knows her isn’t in front of him. When he recognizes that he made a mistake, he’s able to take a step back and allow Luna to make the connection to her own past and her own magic. By using this magic to bring Xan back to her human form, Luna reinforces that familial love is extremely powerful and instinctive—she needs no instruction to perform this spell.
Themes
