Weyward

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Prologue-Chapter 10

Part 1, Chapters 11-19

Part 2, Chapters 20-25

Part 2, Chapters 26-32

Part 3, Chapters 33-41

Part 3, Chapter 42-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Domestic Abuse

Weyward contains so many incidents of domestic abuse that it becomes a recurring motif, resonating with the theme of Gendered Oppression and Power Struggles Under Patriarchy. As previously mentioned, male dominance is perpetuated by instilling fear into a targeted woman. While Altha and her mother are relatively free of domestic violence, Grace is not. Her husband forces her to have sex frequently for the sole purpose of giving him a male heir. When she miscarries, he beats her. After churchgoers notice the marks on Grace’s face, her husband is careful to inflict injuries that will be hidden by clothing.

Violet’s story includes physical violence, sexual violence, and emotional abuse. When Lizzie ceases to be useful to Rupert, he locks her in her chamber. When she protests, she is diagnosed with hysteria, and a doctor is called to perform a hysterectomy. This is forced sterilization, a form of reproductive abuse. Complications from this surgery end up killing Lizzie, creating a physical manifestation of domestic abuse trauma.

Rupert then transfers his malice to the daughter, who looks exactly like her mother. Violet is confined to her home, denied an education, and repeatedly corrected for her wild temperament, which also echoes her mother’s. Frederick is an extension of this system. While Violet initially shows interest in him and finds him handsome, he chooses not to court her and rapes her instead. This emphasizes that domestic abuse is a tool for abusers to get what they want from their victims. Like her mother, Violet loses her reproductive autonomy when she becomes pregnant. This reflects the cyclical nature of abuse and the way patriarchy affects all kinds of male/female relationships.

Kate also suffers from frequent physical and emotional attacks by Simon. He throws hot coffee at her and tries to choke her more than once. In their final confrontation, he is brandishing a poker before Kate summons her allies to put an end to his abuse once and for all. Kate’s scenes show that patriarchal violence and domestic abuse persist as 21st-century issues, even when other aspects of society have progressed.

Birds and Insects

All the Weyward women feel a keen love of nature, and nature returns their affection. This is demonstrated by the activity of the insects and birds who do their bidding. They symbolize the power of nature and relate to the theme of Love Versus Fear. Although the Weywards love nature, they are constantly threatened by men who want to intimidate them. For the most part, men in the novel seek to dominate nature because they fear it. Lord Rupert has a study filled with trophies from his hunts. To him, dead animal heads symbolize his mastery over nature. However, he finds himself intimidated by the bees that Violet sends to sting him. She also uses insects to exact her revenge on Frederick. Once he inherits Orton Hall, Violet’s emissaries infest the manor, and he suffers as a result. Once again, a male who wishes to prove his dominance becomes the victim of fear.

Altha quietly observes John’s abuse of Grace until she feels the need to make him pay for his crimes. Her love for Grace causes her to send a crow to provoke a cattle stampede. Grace’s bully of a husband learns the meaning of fear when his herd crushes him to death. Finally, Kate finds the courage to make a stand against Simon because she loves her unborn daughter and wishes to protect her. She summons a flock of birds and a swarm of insects to attack Simon, and he loses an eye in the process. The fear he feels will prevent him from ever returning to Weyward Cottage again.

Hidden Messages

In a world where men isolate women to better control them, the only way to communicate with one another is through secret messages. The novel abounds with these as a recurring motif, reinforcing the theme of The Power of Female Solidarity. This is necessary because women are either physically confined or so closely watched that they can’t write or speak to those who want to help them. Many women of Altha’s time cannot write at all. When Grace must communicate with her friend, she fashions a doll out of twine to convey the message that she is pregnant again and in need of help. Initially, Jennet cautions Altha never to speak of the powers that the Weyward women possess. Altha disobeys this injunction and records the events of her trial and the many steps she took to protect Grace. This document is sealed away in a locked bureau drawer for centuries, but this hidden message provides invaluable information for Altha’s descendants.

During Lizzie’s imprisonment in Orton Hall, the only way she can communicate with Violet is by scratching the family name on the wall of her room. She also leaves her daughter a locket inscribed with the letter “W.” Inside is the key that unlocks the drawer containing Altha’s secret journal. Violet then uses this newfound knowledge to help free herself from Frederick and, later, to free Kate from Simon. She leaves a tiny note inside the locket that gives Kate the final clue she needs to awaken to her own power and rid herself of her abusive ex-boyfriend once and for all. The series of hidden messages emphasizes that women can protect each other from harm and offer vital support. Additionally, these messages are able to hide in plain sight—in a desk or a locket—because misogynistic men consider women’s possessions trifles rather than powerful tools capable of harboring secrets.