Lud-in-the-Mist · Theme
Law and Justice
How Lud-in-the-Mist develops Law and Justice.
The legal system of Dorimare is portrayed as a tool for control and a form of delusion in itself, yet it is also used by Nathaniel as a weapon to uncover truth and seek justice against hidden crimes.
Where it surfaces
- XI: A Stronger Antidote Than Reason
The Senate's enforcement measures and Nathaniel's efforts to stop smuggling highlight the struggle for legal control over fairy fruit.
- XII: Dame Marigold Hears the Tap of a Woodpecker
The trial is bogged down by absurd legal fictions (treating fruit as silk), and Dame Marigold's interrogation reveals potential conspiracy, questioning true justice.
- What Master Nathaniel and Master Ambrose Found in the Guildhall
Nathaniel and Ambrose's discovery leads to plans for arrest, highlighting the tension between legal order and the subversion of that order by smugglers.
- XIV: Dead in the Eye of the Law
The chapter revolves around legal fictions: Nathaniel calls for the death penalty under the law, while Polydore invokes an ancient statute that could legally depose the mayor.
- XV: “Ho, Ho, Hoh!”
The Senate's legal maneuvers—declaring Nathaniel dead—highlight the tension between formal law and true justice.
- The Widow Gibberty's Trial
The chapter centers on a trial where legal procedure and evidence ultimately acquit the widow, despite popular suspicion and superstition.
- XVII: The World-in-Law
Nathaniel plans to use the law to trap Leer, viewing it as a net to catch shadows and a tool against fairy delusion.
- XVIII: Mistress Ivy Peppercorn
Nathaniel's pursuit of justice for Farmer Gibberty, personifying the law as a 'tiger' that must spring on its prey, drives the chapter's action.
- XIX: The Berries of Merciful Death
Nathaniel seeks to bring a murderer to justice but is thwarted by the limitations of evidence and the law's inability to hear the 'dumb speech' of the dead.
- XXI: The Old Goatherd
Hazel's internal conflict about asserting her legal rights against the widow highlights the theme of law and justice, as she feels powerless despite being the rightful owner.
- The Northern Firebox and Dead Men's Tales
Hazel's internal conflict between family loyalty and the demands of justice; Master Nathaniel's pursuit of legal proof for the murder.
- XXIV: Belling the Cat
The chapter centers on the arrest of the widow Gibberty for murder, highlighting the pursuit of justice and the legal mechanisms of Dorimare.
- XXV: The Law Crouches and Springs
The warrant and arrest of Leer demonstrate the rigid, impersonal force of the law, overriding personal relationships.
- XXVI: “Neither Trees nor Men”
The trial procedure, the judges' robes, and the crowd's reaction illustrate the formal, yet flawed, legal system grappling with a crime rooted in spiritual and moral questions.
