What makes a story or a preconceived notion true? Is truth the same thing as fact? What happens when an actual event turns into legend? These questions plague the characters in The Ropemaker non-stop. What everyone deems to be nothing but gossip and storytelling actually ends up saving the Valley—for instance, Asarta is real, and guides Tilja and Co. to Faheel. And then in the Epilogue—some twenty generations later—Faheel has turned into a legend and no one believes that the Valley's magic is fading.
It's up to our heroes to believe in the mythical version of reality, to put their trust in something that might not be entirely true and take a leap of faith. The very real lives they lead hang in jeopardy.
Questions About Versions of Reality
- What makes a story true in this book?
- Do you think all the stories told as myths in The Ropemaker are actually true for the characters?
- Do you think you could take the leap of faith Tilja must when she decides to go into the Empire, based on the stories she knows?
- Compare the myths of the book to the myths you grew up with and to the myth of Tilja's fantasy story. What defines a myth as such?
Chew on This
Myth is the same as reality in the world of the Valley.
Myth is an invaluable teaching tool to the characters of the book.