Character Analysis
A Lot of Similarities
Captain Faun and Katsa have a lot in common. They are both strong, independent women who excel in their fields; they both possess great personal power and are capable of leading and commanding others; and they are both Graced. But there's a big difference between the two women as well.
While Katsa grew up being manipulated and exploited for her Grace, Captain Faun, a Lienid, grew up honored and revered for hers. She also grew up completely free and in a society where, apparently, it's not odd for a woman to own a ship and sail the seas on her own schedule. We don't hear much about Captain Faun's personal life, although we do know that she is "a woman past childbearing years, her hair steel gray and pulled tightly into a knot at the nape of her neck" (32.87).
Is Faun a Mom?
It's possible that Captain Faun has adult children, although knowing that she captained a supply ship before acquiring her current vessel (34.35), we wonder if she hasn't been a sailor all her life. She certainly seems comfortable at sea, dressed in clothing "like that of the other sailors: brown trousers, brown coat, heavy boots, and a knife at her belt" (32.87), and her great knowledge of seafaring is suggested by the state of her cabin, which reminds Katsa "of one of Raffin's workrooms… except here, the books were replaced with maps and charts, the bottles by instruments of copper and gold … [and] the herbs by ropes, cords, hooks, nets" (32.86).
Plus the woman is a captain, which implies she has worked her way up over years of sailing. Her Grace, after all, allows her to predict storms—not sail. That she had to master on her own.
So in Captain Faun we have a powerful woman who felt none of the constraints Katsa felt due to her gender and her Grace. And that gives us hope that perhaps Katsa will be able to find a place in the seven kingdoms where she will not have to feel so isolated because of her differences.