Essay Questions

How is death presented in Last Sacrifice?

This is a key theme during Last Sacrifice as it questions whether killing someone is actually the most merciful and kind thing to do for humanity. When Rose kills Victor, she is wracked by guilt because she brutally killed a man. It is surprising that his death would affect her so much when she has already killed so many, and yet Mead seem’s to imply that being the bearer of death is no easier than dying.

How is Good vs Evil presented in Last Sacrifice?

There is some confusion between these two ideologies, and this is mainly caused by the character of Victor Dashkov. In the Moroi world, good and evil are characterised as either being a Moroi/Damphir or a Strigoi. However, Victor is a Moroi and yet he commits numerous crimes and self-serving acts. He is meant to be ‘good’ and yet he isn’t, which implies that people are a mixture of the two and it is up to each individual to decide which one should dominate their soul.

How is Humanity presented in Last Sacrifice?

The idea of humanity is brought into question when Sonya Karp is restored. She has defied nature by returning back to her Damphir state. Mead makes it clear that when she was in his Strigoi state, she had no humanity left in her, as evident by the killing sprees she went on, and Sonya herself finds it difficult to come to terms with what she has done especially as she made the choice to turn into a Strigoi, and therefore she made the choice to kill those people.

How is Love vs Lust presented in Last Sacrifice?

Rose is confused about her feelings for Dimitri throughout this book. She has confirmed to him that she loves Adrian and he makes her feel special, and yet she still feels drawn to Dimitri. Her constant reprimands to herself for feeling such emotions is indicative of the guilt she feels for continuing to lust after him despite having a boyfriend.

How is insanity presented in Last Sacrifice?   

Rose is a physical manifestations of madness, a side-effect of Spirit. Her sudden burst of outrage causes her to viciously murder Victor. It is evident that Lissa’s strong emotions affect Rose more deeply than initially. However, the fact that she is overcome by the guilt she feels towards her actions indicates that Rose understands that what she did was not right, and this further emphasizes the fact that she is more mentally stable than Lissa.