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Chapter 18
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Thorn Birds, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Forbidden Love and Desire
Religious Duty
Gender Roles and Limitations
Loss and Grief
Ambition and Personal Sacrifice
Summary
Analysis
Rainer sits at his desk in Bonn, sipping coffee and feeling optimistic about seeing Justine again. Her recent silence does not worry him; he assumes she is still resisting her feelings for him but will come around eventually. But his mood changes instantly when he sees the news of Ralph’s and Dane’s deaths. Within minutes, he is driving toward the Vatican, thinking of the burden Vittorio now faces. When he arrives, Vittorio gently confirms that Ralph had known Dane was his son before he died. Rainer grieves both Ralph and Dane, struggling to understand why Justine never reached out to him during it all.
Rainer’s initial optimism collapses instantly upon learning of Ralph’s and Dane’s deaths, showing how much his emotional stability depends on his connection to Justine. His immediate impulse to drive to the Vatican shows his need for proximity—not just to mourn, but also to anchor himself in a world shaken by loss. Vittorio’s revelation that Ralph knew Dane was his son compounds Rainer’s grief, transforming his sorrow into a deeper tragedy of missed connections and unspoken truths.
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Back in Bonn, Rainer receives two deliveries—one from Justine, the other from Ralph’s lawyers. The lawyers inform him that he has been named the new director of Michar Limited, which includes oversight of Drogheda. Rainer sees this as a final gesture of approval from Ralph, a way of acknowledging his worth. Then he opens a letter from Justine. She claims that grief has killed any love she might have had for him, that she cannot stand to be seen in such a state, and that she wants nothing more from him. She signs it bluntly and with no warmth.
Rainer’s dual deliveries symbolize two opposing forces in his life. Ralph’s legal gesture, making him director of Michar Limited, affirms his value and trust, a final gift of responsibility and respect. This role ties Rainer to Drogheda and the Cleary family, suggesting Ralph saw him as a successor. In contrast, Justine’s letter is a rejection—a cold, emotionally detached message in which she denies any love for him. Her abrupt, unsentimental language exposes her attempt to sever herself from grief by severing him. Yet this effort only highlights her despair, as she believes cutting him off will help her escape her own pain.
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Rainer destroys the letter without hesitation and flies to London anyway, though he does not attempt to contact her. Instead, he goes to the theater and watches Justine perform as Desdemona onstage. She is commanding, emotionally powerful, and distant. He realizes the stage offers her the only outlet she has left. Meanwhile, Justine feels that Dane’s death has hollowed out her world. Her grief deepens every time she still thinks of something to share with Dane, forgetting he is no longer around to talk to. Because those thoughts still come so naturally, she feels constantly re-wounded. She also blames herself for not going with him to Greece—believing that her selfishness cost him his life.
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Justine’s guilt grows alongside her sorrow. She sees herself as the cause of Dane’s death—not because of anything she did directly, but because she chose to stay behind with Rainer instead of going to Greece. She tells herself that if she had gone with Dane, he might still be alive. That thought haunts her, along with the sense that she failed him emotionally. Everyone else sees Dane as perfect, but she had known his insecurities and never helped him work through them. She feels she betrayed him by prioritizing Rainer and now believes she must give him up permanently as penance.
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Time passes, and Justine goes on acting, performing the parts of Desdemona, Ophelia, Portia, Cleopatra. She builds her career with discipline and outward composure. She tries twice to return to Drogheda but cancels each time. The guilt is too strong, and the confrontation with Meggie is too frightening. Justine wants the people on Drogheda to believe she is fine, untouched by grief. Meanwhile, Meggie grows older and weaker. One day, when Rainer appears at the homestead, Fiona introduces him to Meggie, who is startled by his presence. He strikes her as composed, powerful, and unfamiliar—nothing like anyone she has known, but reminiscent of Ralph.
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Their conversation begins awkwardly but soon becomes personal. Rainer tells Meggie that he came only to see her, and she tries to understand why. When she mentions Justine, he says he has not seen her since Dane’s death. Meggie admits she has not either. She confides that Justine is the only young person left in the family, but Rainer objects to the idea of Justine as a resource for Drogheda. When Meggie presses him, he explains that Justine blames herself for Dane’s death and avoids her mother out of shame. Meggie, startled and defensive, accuses him of misunderstanding her daughter. But he insists Justine needs help—and Meggie is the only one who can reach her.
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Rainer explains that Justine stayed in London because of him, not out of love for the stage or the city. He believes she truly loves Meggie and is punishing herself for choosing him over Dane. He urges Meggie to convince Justine to reclaim her life—not one tied to Drogheda, but a life in which she chooses fulfillment over guilt. Rainer asks Meggie to help Justine choose him instead of retreating into the safety of her childhood home. Meggie, who has long accepted her daughter’s distance, is unsure she has the power to influence her. Still, she listens carefully and promises to consider what he has said. During the week of Rainer’s visit, he bonds with Meggie’s brothers and Fiona, all of whom appreciate his presence and insight.
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Meanwhile, in London, Justine’s emotional exhaustion deepens. She spends more time with Rainer, but he remains distant, offering only friendship. She begins to suspect he has returned not out of love, but to fulfill a promise to Dane. In a moment of frustration and sorrow, she writes to Meggie announcing that she will return home for good and abandon her acting career. She wants to restore something—though she is not sure what—and imagines Drogheda as a place of peace and permanence. But Meggie’s reply, full of gentle firmness, tells her that she is needed elsewhere. Meggie insists Justine’s sacrifice would be meaningless, that Justine must continue her life beyond Drogheda and not bury herself with Dane.
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The letter shakes Justine. After reading it, she rushes to Rainer’s house and confesses everything—her regrets, her guilt, and her longing for him. At last, they speak honestly. He tells her he has always loved her and waited patiently, believing she would come to him in her own time. They decide to marry, and a cable soon arrives on Drogheda announcing their wedding at the Vatican. Meggie reads the message quietly, reflecting on the life and loss that have shaped her family.
Looking out at the autumn roses, Meggie understands that the cycle of change must continue. Drogheda will pass on. Her light will fade. But she cannot regret anything. Meggie accepts responsibility for the choices she made in her life and feels no regret. She recalls the story of the mythical thorn bird, which drives a thorn into its own breast and sings as it dies. Unlike the bird, people understand the pain their choices will cause—but they still make those choices anyway.
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