One of the main reasons the girls get into trouble with Keeper and his quest for revenge in the first place is that they're forbidden to dance, or really do anything that helps them grow and thrive. Why? Because of mourning. The girls are all sad about their mom's death, obviously, but the year-long custom of mourning is totally stifling to them in Entwined. It drives them to look for other outlets, even if such things would normally not be permitted.
And then there's the fact that their dad isn't handling his grief very well, leading to an even greater emotional distance between him and his daughters than usual. Sadness isn't an easy emotion to work through, and everyone does it differently, but it'd be swell if this family could get on the same page about dealing with their feelings, even the sad ones.
Questions About Sadness
- How does Azalea find the strength to comfort her sisters when she's devastated by sadness at their mother's death?
- What do the King's main coping mechanisms for grief seem to be?
- Why do you think dancing helps the girls deal with their sad feelings?
- Which of the sisters seem most impacted by their mother's death, and why?
Chew on This
Mourning is torture even when it's an authentic expression of the grief you're feeling.
The King strictly enforced mourning as a way of expressing his own sadness at his wife's death.