65 pages • 2 hours read
Sarah A. ParkerWhen the Moon Hatched
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Hae’s Perch
Hae’s Perch, the wonky moon hanging in the sky, is a symbol of Raeve/Elluin’s desire to protect others, especially those lacking the power to protect themselves. The moon stands out in the sky despite its imperfections, reminding Reave of her own protective instincts and her desire to safeguard the innocent. Though she isn’t aware of it yet due to her suppressed memories, the moon is also a source of comfort: It is her brother’s dragon and cradles him forever up in the sky, protecting him in the way Elluin had always done in life.
The wonky moon called Hae’s Perch, with its distinctive malformed wing, also represents hope and resilience amid a sky filled with tombstones—the remnants of fallen dragons. Even among such powerful creatures, the malformed dragon rises proudly and shines brightly, a beacon of hope for anyone below who feels insignificant or trapped. While in prison and believing that she’ll die the next morning, “the backs of [Raeve’s] eyes burn as [she] think[s] of that little wonky moon [she’ll] probably never see again…[she] love[s] that most of all” (213-14).
Kaan’s own tattoos further emphasize the symbolism of Hae’s Perch. His body is marked with stars and moons, including the wonky moon that Raeve cherishes. This imagery links them in many ways. It serves as a reminder of Kaan’s commitment to Raeve and his inability to protect her brother and parents from his own father, who poisoned and murdered them in their sleep. Since then, Kaan has committed himself to protecting not only her but also others, even at a personal cost to him.
Raeve’s Internal Lake
Raeve’s internal icy lake serves as a motif for her fear of love and emotional vulnerability. The imagery of the icy lake, beneath which she hides all her difficult emotions and memories, symbolizes her desire to protect herself from the pain those memories elicit. Throughout the novel, Raeve repeatedly returns to the frozen lake within her mind. This lake represents her preferred emotional state—cold, controlled, and detached. The “barbed memory” of Fallon’s death is described as “an icy spike hammered into [Raeve’s] hardened heart, all the way to the soft core, pitting [her] with a swing of raw, familiar pain” (103). As a defense mechanism against the trauma that so deeply affects her, Raeve responds by sinking into her inner lake, where there is an “eerie silence that always makes [her] skin pebble” (103). This eerie silence represents the loneliness and isolation that results from burying all her emotions so far that no one, including herself, can see them. Raeve then carves a hole in the iced-over lake and “plop[s] the heavy thought down the gap” (103). Importantly, thoughts and memories submerged in this way do not cease to exist. They remain hidden from view but present, waiting for the ice to thaw.
As the novel progresses, Raeve is forced to repeatedly visit her internal lake when Kaan challenges her emotional defenses. She meticulously strips her emotions “like shelling nuts” and discards them into the lake. However, there sometimes tends to be a “curious luminosity” under the ice that suggests that not only do the suppressed emotions persist, but there is also internal conflict. Something doesn’t want these particular emotions to be permanently discarded and instead safeguards them for reemergence at a later date.
Kaan’s Málmr
Kaan’s málmr—a token he wears around his neck and later gives to Raeve—symbolizes the depth of his shared past with Elluin and his commitment to her long before it becomes apparent to readers and Raeve within the narrative. Kaan’s málmr is described as a carving that depicts a Sabersythe and Moonplume embracing. This hints at his connection to Raeve/Elluin, who had a Moonplume dragon she loved dearly in the past.
Raeve’s initial perusal of the málmr—one of intrigue, longing, and admiration—signifies a subconscious recognition of its importance. When she holds it, something “settles inside [her] like a key notched into place” (383), though she dismisses the feeling as unreal. This moment foreshadows the profound bond she shares with Kaan, even before she fully understands it.
The emotional significance of the málmr becomes evident when Raeve returns it to Kaan. His visible hurt highlights how much it means to him and represents the tangible link to their past. It also highlights how, without the full scope of her memories, Raeve cannot commit to him in the way he wants. Raeve’s fear of connecting with others, stemming from past losses, conflicts with the deep bond and commitment the málmr represents. By returning it, she evidences her lack of desire to learn about their shared past and prevents herself from connecting with someone whose loss will only hurt her. She also believes that returning the málmr is a service to Kaan:
If Kaan wants me to keep his málmr, he might as well slip his head through a noose and tighten it himself, then hang his weight upon the loop until he chokes. And though that would’ve been a balm to my burning rage just a few short slumbers ago, the thought now plows its fist through my chest and rips, rips, rips at all my important bits (466-67).
Because everyone she loves has died, Raeve believes that keeping the málmr—a token of Kaan’s love—would be tantamount to signing his death warrant.
