If there's one theme that affects nearly every character in Sabriel, it's loss. Sabriel's never known her mother, and the loss of her father is the event that sparks her entire dangerous journey, forcing her to give up the life she knows when she travels alone to the Old Kingdom.
Just like Sabriel, Touchstone suffers heartbreaking losses—Kerrigor murders his family, and immediately afterward, Touchstone is frozen for two hundred years. So not only does he lose his family and the world as he once knew it, but he also loses his freedom for quite some time. In other words, in Sabriel's story we see not only the loss of people, but the loss of other things, like freedom, as well.
Questions About Loss
- In a way, Sabriel must deal with losing her father twice: once when he disappears, and again when he dies soon after his rescue. How does she handle this final farewell? Is the loss of her father more difficult for her the first or second time?
- Touchstone's losses are caused by his childhood friend and half-brother, yet Touchstone feels responsible. Why does Touchstone feel so guilty about the death of his family? Is Touchstone right in thinking that he could have prevented Kerrigor's actions?
- Sabriel has only spoken to her mother twice, both at crucial points in her life. If you grew up not knowing one of your parents, would you want to have the opportunity to talk to them, if you knew you could only do it briefly?
Chew on This
Sabriel doesn't deal with the loss of her father until after she rescues him.
Touchstone shouldn't have felt guilty, even though he murdered two people—it was all ultimately Kerrigor's fault.