The early interactions between Kay and the Wart set the
stage for our understanding of the boys as they grow, and White
makes sure we can empathize with them. The first few chapters are
peppered with incidents that help us get an understanding of these
two complicated characters. Kay, after losing Cully, angrily states
that Hob is only a servant whose feelings are irrelevant, and then
he storms off. Wart, on the other hand, spends the night in the
forest to find Hob’s bird. The Wart seems very much like the good-natured,
marginalized stepchild so common in English literature, always decent
and eager to please. It is interesting that the Wart is not particularly
courageous or full of bravado; rather, he simply does what needs
to be done to set things right no matter how frightened he is. Kay,
on the other hand, is less pleasant. His actions reveal that he
is a spoiled and angry child, so used to having his own superiority
asserted for him that he cannot stand to have it challenged. However,
he also seems to be a victim of circumstance, since he constantly
veers between the haughtiness that his title requires and his own
kind heart. He belittles the Wart only when the Wart earns too much praise.
Kay’s selfish delight in the hunting knife that Merlyn gives
him is a touching reminder that Kay’s behavior is typical among
children his age.
