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Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
Trauma and the Unpredictable Nature of Recovery
If any experience unites the major characters of A Court of Wings and Ruin, it is that of trauma. Mor, Azriel, and Lucien, for example, have all been treated brutally by their respective families, leaving deep psychic wounds. Rhysand has had little time to recovery from years of sexual assault by the villainous Amarantha, and Feyre still has nightmares about being tortured Under the Mountain. Nesta and Elain refuse to speak about their deeply traumatizing experiences in the Cauldron, and they struggle to adapt to their new lives as faeries. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, trauma leaves deep wounds, both physical and emotional, that can continue to affect an individual’s life long after the event itself. The novel tracks these characters’ lives as they attempt to overcome difficult experiences in their past in order to begin anew, forge new connections with others, and heal.
However, the novel also suggests that the path to healing can be long and unpredictable. Though the source of Nesta and Elain’s trauma is the same, these two sisters respond very differently to their experiences. Where Nesta pushes others away, building emotional walls between herself and those around her, Elain becomes completely reliant on others, overwhelmed by how quickly her life has changed and nursing as secret desire to return to her human life. At first, Elain seems to make quick progress in her recovery, returning to her love of gardening and even developing a plan to save many human lives by evacuating them to Lord Greysen’s manor. Nevertheless, she experiences a profound setback after being rejected by Greysen, returning to an almost insensible state. In comparison, Nesta makes slow but steady progress, eventually opening up to others, both as a result of her love for her family and her growing feelings for Cassian, her “mate.” The very different paths these two sisters take reflect the unpredictable nature of recovery. Healing, in this novel, rarely follows a straight, linear path.
Feyre’s story in this novel is also one of healing. With the emotional support of Rhysand, she has come a long way since her time Under the Mountain, but her nightmares resume when she is faces a high amount of emotional pressure prior to the meeting of the High Lords. Stress, then, serves as one setback to her recovery. Still, by speaking openly about her feelings with Rhysand, she is better able to understand and manage her own emotions. This is a far cry from her earlier experiences in the Spring Court, where Tamlin repressed his feelings and refused to talk about what happened Under the Mountain. Where Tamlin’s desire to simply shut out negative experiences further contributed to Feyre’s suffering, Rhysand both asks Feyre how she is feeling and discusses his own emotions with a frank and open attitude. Free and open communication, the novel suggests, is essential for both healing and for healthy relationships.
The Importance of Self-Acceptance
Many characters in A Court of Wings and Ruin struggle in their journey towards self-acceptance. While Feyre, for example, sabotages the Spring Court from the inside, working against Tamlin to undermine his power while continuing to feign love for him, she often thinks of herself as a “monster.” Though at this point in the novel she is convinced that her actions are justified, her negative self-image leads to feelings of shame and guilt. When the Bone Carver requests that she obtain the Ouroboros mirror, she learns that the mirror has driven many people “mad” by showing them who they truly are. When she gazes into the Ouroboros, she sees a terrifying monster behind her and realizes, to her own surprise, that she is the monster. Rather than losing her wits, however, Feyre comes not only to accept those elements of her own personality that might appear dark or monstrous, but also to love those sides of herself, such as her strong feelings of anger, that were previously a source of shame.
Feyre is not the only character who finds strength in self-acceptance. Mor frustrates and confuses Feyre by engaging in casual sex with many male faeries, such as Helion, despite her apparent love for Azriel. The two fight, and Feyre accuses Mor of hiding from her true feelings. Later, the two speak again, and Mor confesses to Feyre that she is not in love with Azriel. After doing some soul-searching, she finally admits to herself, and to her friends, that she is primarily romantically attracted to females, rather than males. In fact, her only true experience of love was with a human woman, but the two were separated by the construction of the wall between the human and faerie worlds. In acknowledging her true desires, Mor is better able to understand her own actions. She only slept with Helion, she admits, in order to push Azriel away, because she is afraid of hurting him by rejecting him directly. Additionally, she acknowledges to Feyre that she has hidden her same-sex desires because of her family, which believes that it is the role of female faeries to marry and give birth. It is only by openly confronting her own feelings that Mor is able to overcome her difficult past and accept herself fully.
The Freedom to Choose
A Court of Wings and Ruin frequently contrasts the desire to control others with the value of personal freedom. This contrast is an important aspect of Feyre’s story, as well as many other characters. When Feyre was first engaged to Tamlin, for example, she had every reason to believe that she was living out a (literal) fairytale romance. She was, after all, poised to be the wife of the handsome High Lord of the Spring Court, a position of luxury, prestige, and power. Nevertheless, Tamlin’s possessive attitude and controlling behavior left her a virtual prisoner in his glittering palace, causing Feyre to value independence and autonomy above all else. In Rhysand, she finds a partner who respects her right to make decisions for herself. Though her plan to return to the Spring Court gives him cause for worry and concern, he nevertheless believes in and supports Feyre’s right to make her own choices, even if they might appear dangerous.
Rhysand’s respect for personal autonomy both underscores the very serious differences between him and Tamlin and defines his approach as a ruler. Though he is the High Lord of the Night Court, he exerts his authority sparingly, acknowledging that his friends, and his subjects, must have the freedom to make their own decisions. In the Library under the House of Winds, for example, he creates a sanctuary for females who have suffered from male violence, granting them the autonomy to control their own space and run the library according to their own policies. Though some of the scholars in Velaris grumble at the need to request permission to access the library, for Rhysand, it is essential to the healing of those living in the library that they have the right to make decisions for themselves. The novel suggests that the freedom to choose is both an important personal ideal, but also a key political value.
