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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
The Voice and Muteness
Muteness plays a recurring role in the novel, with several characters experiencing some degree of muteness during the course of their tales. Iola has taken a vow of silence, so she is unable to speak to the other characters in the novel. Dandelion’s voice is endangered by the djinn that attacks him, and beyond saving his life, Geralt is worried what the permanent loss of his voice might do to the troubadour. Lille speaks only to the old woman in Lower Posada, who then relays her messages. Even when she’s revealed to be The Queen of the Fields, she does not speak to communicate her messages to Geralt and the elves, but uses telepathy, which is concealed from the reader. While muteness affects numerous characters, there are also instances when the voice itself becomes a force or power in the book. Both the bruxa and the striga use vocal attacks that manifest as a physical force that hits Geralt, but they are not the only examples of this. Perhaps the most interesting vocal attack comes from Princess Pavetta, who is not a monster. She speaks so quietly during the banquet that Geralt can’t hear her, yet her voice becomes a weapon that she uses to wreak destruction when Urcheon is hurt.
Fairy Tales and Folktales
Geralt asserts that there’s a grain of truth in most fairy tales. This proves true as many of the chapters in the book draw on fairy tales as background elements. In The Last Wish, fairy tales and folktales are used as devices to set up plot or character situations to explore more significant themes. The most noticeable of these are in “A Grain of Truth” and “The Lesser Evil,” where aspects of “Beauty and the Beast,” “Snow White,” “Rapunzel,” and other traditional stories contribute to the plots. Other chapters also draw on lesser-known fairy tales and folktales. However, The Last Wish does not offer strict retellings of folktales and fairy tales. Instead, these stories are starting points that the author uses to build on the novel’s central themes. This results in chapters that are familiar, but offer surprising twists that highlight the complexity and strangeness of Geralt’s world. For example, “A Question of Price” uses the plot points of the story “Hans My Hedgehog” to craft a situation that explores themes of destiny and monstrosity.
The Voice of Reason
The book is structured as a story collection with the “Voice of Reason” chapters connecting each of the individual stories with a narrative throughline of Geralt’s time in the temple of Melitele. Within each of these sections, Geralt is presented with a situation in which the voice of reason may change the outcomes of certain events. For example, in the final chapter of the book, Geralt goads Falwick about his unwillingness to fight and says that he can hear the voice of reason in his silence. That is, Geralt believes Falwick uses judgment by choosing not to fight. Whenever the narrative refers to the voice of reason, a character, usually Geralt, faces a decision that has major ramifications. Most importantly, this voice of reason usually comes in the form of the advice of another person, like Nenneke or Dandelion, and helps Geralt to understand other perspectives on decisions he has made or will make in the future.
