Graceling Identity Quotes

And this is how, initially, Katsa loses her identity as an individual. She's a young girl—ten, for goodness sake—when Randa starts giving her these specific commands and using her as a torture and killing machine. And that, for the next eight years, is how she is defined—by Randa, by others, and by herself. Even though she starts the Council and begins to do good in the kingdoms, Katsa can't shake the lady killer identity that Randa thrust upon her all those years ago.

Where did the notion come from?! Her heart. The core of her being. The essence of who she really is. But Katsa has been blinded to her true identity by the mercenary role she's had to take on in her uncle's court. So blinded that she can't even recognize that despite some bad choices (made very much under duress, mind you), she is a kind, compassionate soul.

There are so many ways that Katsa doesn't fit into her society that she must feel mad most of the time. And what does she mean "they would think her mad"? Doesn't everyone pretty much think she's mad anyway? Except Raffin and Bann, Oll and Giddon, of course. And the other members of the Council. But the people in the court? Sheesh—they don't even meet her eyes. We're pretty sure they've already written her off.

Katsa's self-esteem is really low and really sad. She almost reminds us of someone who's been battered and can't see that she didn't deserve it—or maybe even believes that she brought it on herself.

This phrase comes up multiple times—the idea of Katsa "returning to herself." It's interesting because it seems that in truth, instead of returning to herself, what Katsa wants to do is go back to not thinking about herself, not questioning her thoughts and feelings, not wondering who she is and what she wants out of life. Then again, that's how she's been living for quite a while now—unquestioning and more or less obedient—so maybe the phrase is more accurate than we first thought.

One reason Katsa's had such great difficulty finding her identity is that she's never been free to voice her opinions or be herself around Randa. She has to pretend civility when what she feels is murder, and she has to murder when what she feels is mercy. It has to be pretty confusing.

The first part of this quote implies that Po knows what Katsa's true self is like, and the second part implies that Katsa doesn't. Is that weird, or is it possible for someone else to know us better than we know ourselves? Po, of course, has the aid of his Grace, but even without it we get the feeling that he might be able to see Katsa's truths better than she can. What do you think? And what do you think of Katsa's portion of the quote? Explain.

Not a pretty picture. If we read a little further, we see that Katsa does recognize that she isn't always this monster, that in fact she is often "frightened and sickened" by her violence, that she gets down on herself for being savage, and that sometimes she rebels against this part of her nature altogether. She knows that sometimes she is a monster that refuses to behave as a monster, but then, what exactly does that make her? Poor girl. She's having a serious identity crisis here.

The comparison game is never a good idea. (Unless you're judging pies at a county fair. Then it's good to do as much comparing as possible. With ice cream on the side.) But comparisons between yourself and others to try to figure out where you stand in the world? Avoid it at all costs, dear Shmoopsters. The only person you need to worry about besting in this life is yourself.

Trying to rank yourself as better or worse than others is pointless. It's comparing apples and oranges. Apples and kumquats. Apples and koala bears. And it doesn't matter.

Hurrah—we're so glad when Katsa makes this realization… and so glad it didn't take her until the end of the book. That would have been a lot of wallowing. As it is, she wallows just enough. And we love that when she laments that she's probably hurt more people with her Grace than she's saved, Po doesn't try to dispute her. Instead he tells her she has the rest of her life "to tip the balance," which reminds us of something George Eliot said: "It's never too late to be who you might have been."