The Last Mapmaker

The Last Mapmaker is powerfully shaped by symbolism, especially through its use of archetypes. Literary archetypes are characters, situations, or narrative structures that embody universal patterns of human nature. The term comes from the work of psychologist Carl Jung, who believed these patterns to be part of humanity’s collective unconscious. Within this context, the Hero’s Journey is a story template that is itself an archetype; it also comprises many smaller archetypes within its paradigm. In a thorough and accessible summary of the hero’s journey, Alex Cabal defines the Hero’s Journey as follows:

The Hero’s Journey is a universal story structure that follows the personal metamorphosis and psychological development of a protagonist on a heroic adventure. The protagonist goes through a series of stages to overcome adversity and complete a quest to attain an ultimate reward—whether that’s something tangible, like the holy grail, or something internal, like self- confidence (Cabal, Alex. “The Hero’s Journey Ultimate Writing Guide with Examples.” Scribophile).

In The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), Joseph Campbell popularized contemporary studies of the Hero’s Journey, which he calls the “monomyth.” His work is also strongly influenced by Carl Jung’s theories. Campbell’s definitive work on the subject divides the Hero’s Journey into 17 stages that are encompassed within three acts: the departure, the initiation, and the return. Screenwriter and producer Christopher Vogler further refined this pattern by reducing it from 17 stages to 12 in his book The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers (2007).

While these works are relatively recent, the concept of the Hero’s Journey has existed in storytelling and literature for quite some time, and the pattern recurs across the works of many different writers. In 1871, anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor observed common patterns in the plots of stories about heroic journeys. Since then, many renowned works of literature have reflected the Hero’s Journey paradigm. Modern examples include Watership Down by Richard Adams, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman. Evidence of this pattern can be found in the themes and character archetypes of The Last Mapmaker. For example, Cabal describes the protagonist’s journey as mirroring the search for “the true authentic self” (Cabal). This is an apt description of Sai’s journey. While her primary goal is ostensibly to find the Sunderlands, the real prize can be found in the valuable lessons that she learns about her identity and values.

Other characteristics of the Hero’s Journey archetype abound in The Last Mapmaker. Typically, the protagonists of such stories have mysterious origins, wise mentors, and help from supernatural or divine forces. Throughout the quest itself, the hero also learns important life lessons and undergoes great transformation; treacherous journeys across liminal spaces (such as oceans or even the underworld) are also quite common. True to form, Sai uses clever deceptions to hide her low-class status by adopting a false name, mimicking upper-class mannerisms, and telling outright lies, and she also has a wise mentor in Paiyoon, the Master Mapmaker. Also, Sai’s quest comes full circle, as the Hero’s Journey often does, for she begins and ends her travels in the same place even though she initially resolved to leave An Lung behind for good, and she is most certainly transformed by all that she has learned. Within the journey itself, Sai braves several liminal spaces, for she crosses vast oceans on her high-seas adventure, including the perilous Harbinger Sea, and gain the help of a dragon in order to find the elusive Sunderlands. (While a creature of fantasy may not be quite the same as a divine or supernatural force, its archetypal purpose is essentially the same.) Thus, many aspects of Sai’s experiences follow Campbell’s map of the Hero’s Journey to the letter.

Another important aspect of this paradigm includes the shadow character; in this case, the role is filled by Rian, a villain who creates conflict for the hero and represents the dark side of the hero’s own psyche. Rian also represents the shapeshifter, who blurs the line between friend and foe. Just as Sai is initially seduced by Rian’s overtures of friendship and claims to similar experiences, she is also negatively influenced by the woman’s manipulations. However, it is important to note that shadow archetypes aren’t always living characters, and the Mangkon empire’s imperialistic endeavors can also be interpreted as an abstract manifestation of the shadow archetype. Ultimately, however, the Hero’s Journey is a set of universally recognizable patterns, not a strict formula. As such, no literary work will adhere to every detail. The Last Mapmaker even upends some of the paradigm’s conventions, as when Sai realizes that she doesn’t need a magic weapon—represented by Paiyoon’s eyeglass—in order to complete her quest. Nevertheless, understanding this powerful archetype allows for a richer analytical understanding of The Last Mapmaker within the context of a timeless and universal literary schema.