The Windfairies · Concepts
Concepts
Ideas that structure The Windfairies by Mary De Morgan — linked to characters, chapters, and questions.
Promises and Consequences
The book repeatedly explores the importance of keeping one's word, as seen in Lucilla's pact with the windfairies, where breaking her promise would lead to severe punishment, and in the potter's tale, where a magical cup's spell depends on a single draught.
Nature and Magic
Nature is deeply intertwined with magical elements, such as windfairies controlling the weather, a pool transforming into a cloud to reunite with a tree, and a shepherd's daughter dancing in the rain, suggesting a mystical connection between the natural world and human experie…
Vanity and Ambition
Characters like Kesta and the old gentleman in the cat story are driven by vanity or greed, seeking to improve their social standing or wealth, often leading to humiliation or loss, as Kesta's overreaching ambition results in being chased from the town.
Love and Sacrifice
Love is portrayed as requiring sacrifice, as in the pool and the tree, where the pool gives up its existence to become a cloud and reunite with the tree, and in the shepherd's daughter, who refuses royal marriage to stay with her mother.
Innocence and Temptation
Innocent characters like Lucilla and Nanina are tempted by magical beings or forbidden places, leading to both joy and danger, such as Nanina's irresistible urge to dance with the shepherd boy, resulting in the loss of her sheep.
Social Class and Marriage
Marriage is often depicted as a means to improve social status, as in Kesta's pursuit of wealthier suitors and the shepherd's daughter's rejection of a prince, highlighting tensions between personal desire and societal expectations.
Transformation and Identity
Characters undergo physical or spiritual transformations, such as the pool becoming a cloud, Lucilla gaining magical dancing abilities, and the gipsy girl's pots acquiring enchanted properties, reflecting changes in identity or purpose.
Greed and Its Downfall
Greed leads to negative outcomes, as seen in the old gentleman who values the cat only for its potential sale, and in the ploughman's gnome bargain, where material gain comes with hidden costs and eventual loss.
