42 pages • 1 hour read
Erin Entrada KellyLalani of the Distant Sea
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Arrowhead Udyo
The arrowhead udyo is Fei Diwata’s talisman. It symbolizes her power over nature and relates to the theme of The Power in Smallness. The arrowhead fits into the palm of a person’s hand. For those foolish enough to judge an object by its size, it seems to hold no power. Throughout the novel, Lalani minimizes the value of small things. She sees herself as a tiny, weak creature, yet Fei Diwata is even smaller than she is. When Ellseth first shows her the arrowhead, she assumes it is useless because of its size. Later, once she arrives on Isa, she defends herself many times with the arrowhead, using it to fend off the dangerous creatures that inhabit the island.
When Bai-Vinca attacks, Lalani is cornered inside a tree trunk with Usoa. Her first thought is how useless the little arrowhead is. While Lalani is fixated on this, Usoa takes a small piece of tree bark and uses it to stake Bai-Vinca, showing that small things have enough power to kill. When Fei Diwata asks Lalani if she has the guardian’s udyo, the girl still doesn’t recognize the power she is carrying in the pouch around her neck. She thought the udyo was Ellseth’s staff. By the end of the novel, Lalani learns that the tiny piece of sharpened flint has the power to change her world.
Two Islands
The novel’s two islands symbolize the dark and light forces of nature and relate to the theme of The Duality of Life. The prologue explicitly states this dichotomy in describing the mountains:
One of them towers darkly. It casts a shadow of vengeance, impatience, and fear. The Sanlagitans call it Mount Kahna. The other mountain—if you can call it that—is bathed in light. Set foot here, and you will have all of life’s good fortunes, whatever those may be. This is Mount Isa (1-2).
The Sanlagitans struggle to survive in the shadow of Mount Kahna. They pray for the mountain to spare them from disaster and yet long for the idyllic paradise represented by Mount Isa. However, neither location is entirely free of peril. Lalani will find this out for herself when she finally sets foot on Isa.
As she tries to find her way to the summit of the mountain, she is attacked by more lethal creatures than she ever experienced in Sanlagita. On Isa, she encounters sorceress insects, giant birds of prey, hungry demons masquerading as helpless animals, and underground creatures who seek to smother the unwary. Mother Nalupai, who made the islands, is aware of the dark and light elements of creation. Darkness can never be eradicated, but it can be accepted as part of the balance of nature.
Osnoom Petals
In the mythology of the novel, the osnoom flower has magical properties. It symbolizes the power to heal and relates to the theme of The Virtue of Compassion. Just as compassion is undervalued in Sanlagita, the flower itself is dismissed as a fairy tale: “According to legend, there was a singular cure for mender’s disease nestled inside the petals of a miraculous flower. The flower was bright yellow, speckled with flecks of white, but it only grew on Mount Isa” (42-43). Lalani doubts the existence of this magical cure, but compassion drives her to help those who are suffering. When she decides to journey to Isa, she is not only thinking of her mother—who is afflicted with mender’s disease—but also of the sick infant who hasn’t been cured by Veyda’s medicine.
After Lalani arrives on Isa, she becomes concerned about the injuries that Usoa suffers while fighting Bai-Vinca. Lalani isn’t aware that she herself is dying from the lethal sting of the goyuk; her only focus is on those she cares about. This selflessness propels her toward her destination. When her strength lags, a pahaalusk sent by Ziva gives her unexpected assistance. Again, it was Lalani’s compassion toward Ziva that triggered this miracle. Even after Lalani reaches her destination, she might still be killed by Fei Diwata if her heart reveals selfish motives. In the end, her compassionate nature saves not only herself, but also everyone else on her island.
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By Erin Entrada Kelly
