Essay Questions

What are the two parts of Densu that he tries to fight throughout the novel?

The two main parts of Densu are his desire to be a healer, and the imposed desire to be a fighter. The latter is forced upon him by Ababio, his guardian who is a corrupt man. Previously, Densu had escaped into the forrest to try and be a healer. However, he was rejected by the resident healer, who told him to take more time to think about his decision before deciding to come back. Ababio wanted him to be a fighter and overthrow the king, so he could rule. Densu does not like competition, and in this novel refuses to kill an animal because it is innocent and he has no desire to win in a competition he does not care for. Ultimately, the healer side of Densu wins out.

Who is Ababio and is he a positive influence or not?

Ababio is Densu's guardian throughout the novel, and ultimately a villain. He pushes Densu to what Ababio considers greatness, which would involve savagely beating every other opponent in competition and creating a path to ruling the kingdom. Despite the fact that Densu does not want this, Ababio pushes for it and does not like the resistance that Densu creates. This leads him to be more spiteful, and when the prince is killed, Ababio blames Densu and orders him to a trial where he would surely die. As the novel comes to a close, Densu is given and wins another trial, while Ababio is sent to pay for his actions and is himself put to a trial for murdering the prince, to which he would die if found guilty. Eventually, Ababio's negative actions catch up to him.

What is the significance of the healers?

Densu desires to be a healer, in opposition to his perceived nature as a winning king. He wants to escape the kingdom and create positive change despite the glory that would come from the opposite. When he finally escapes to the forest, he meets Damfo, who heals people and helps save the kingdom. Damfo heals a woman who has been gravely injured, and a battle captain. When healing the captain, Damfo convinces him to cast aside his bigoted ways and treat everyone as people, rather than the slave/nonslave binary. The healer Damfo in the novel creates real change despite being perceived as "weak" and eventually saves the kingdom.