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Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes. Poison
In Fourth Wing, poison appears both literally and figuratively, illustrating how Violet, her friends, and her many enemies must constantly assess the threats around them. Poison first explicitly appears out of necessity, as Violet finds herself needing to ward off threats and outwit opponents who would inevitably physically overpower her in sparring matches. She has to use any means she can to gain an advantage over the other cadets. Using poisons she makes from things she finds at Basgiath—weapons that harm or disable without physical violence required—is a nod to her preference for solving problems with her brain and not her fists. She can cause harm in order to assert her dominance and keep herself safe, without needing to wait to develop the muscles and reflexes the other cadets have trained for years to hone. Violet depends on wit, strategy, and awareness of her surroundings to survive, especially given her physical frailty and her lack of training. Unlike the brute force cadets like Liam, Jack, and Xaden are able to wield, poison demands calculation and precise timing.
Poison also metaphorically represents the deeper, more insidious threats that evil, disloyalty and mistrust pose to Violet and her friends. The minds of Navarrians are deliberately poisoned against the marked, the gryphon fliers and citizens of Poromiel, and against the remaining former rebels. This has the related effect of poisoning any future reconciliation between all of these subgroups. Finally, the venin are revealed to use poison as a weapon of war when Violet fights against them in the novel’s final battle. Her journey to healing needs the attention of a special Mender; one whose presence is the catalyst for the events of Iron Flame, the novel’s sequel.
Violet/Violence
The motif of nicknames in Fourth Wing is a way for characters to reveal, critique, or reinforce certain aspects of each other’s personalities. People use shortened versions of each other’s names all over the place, but the most consistent use of a nickname is Xaden’s teasing moniker for Violet. Very early in their relationship he begins calling her “Violence Sorrengail,” which is ironic considering her physical limitations and the fact that she often prefers intellect over aggression. However, this nickname sticks, and becomes at first a grudging mark of respect as she grows into increased physical strength, and then a reference to the “violence” of the emotions she inspires in Xaden. Like many things in this story, Violet is two things at once: a soft, silvery “violet,” delicate as a flower, and a source of “violence,” whether generated by her, or provoked by her presence in others like Jack and Oren. Although the nickname is initially used as a sarcastic jab, the more Xaden uses it, the more it becomes a term that recognizes her amazing adaptability. Her transformation while at Basgiath War College lends new meaning to the moniker “Violence,” as she learns to embrace the nickname and the challenges of life as a rider.
Dragon Relics
When a dragon bonds with a rider, they touch their nose to the rider’s spine in a public ceremony, branding them with a sigil that lasts as long as the rider’s body lives. The relics are a representation of the lifelong bond that rider and dragon form. More than mere adornments, dragon relics hold significant magical and practical importance. Each relic is distinctive and recognizable, like a signature or a fingerprint. Wearing a relic denotes a rider as bonded to a specific dragon. Dragons share both their telepathic and magical powers with humans, allowing them to channel them in abilities called “signets.” These relics are a visual indicator of that supernatural connection.
Dragon relics also signify the transfer of power and trust, representing the depth of commitment between rider and dragon. The bond is an irreversible and serious responsibility, as the lives of riders depend on their dragons staying alive. For some very powerful or very old dragons, the threat of death is reciprocal. Tairn, for example, is known to have had a very powerful bond with his rider Naolin. Because of this, it is believed he would die if he lost a second rider. For this reason—along with the multitude of other reasons to doubt her—a lot of Basgiath cadets and professors are disappointed that Tairn chose Violet, as they see her as weak and vulnerable. It’s also notable that as the only rider in history to have a dual bond, Violet is also the only rider in history to bear two dragon relics at once; Tairn’s huge black mark comes first, and then Andarna adds her smaller, shimmering golden mark on top of it. By wearing these relics, all riders display their status within the War College and their society. Although bearing any dragon relic is an honor, the relic of a powerful and ancient dragon like Tairn or Sgaeyl is more prestigious than that of a younger or smaller dragon like Deigh, Liam’s dragon, or Andarna, Violet’s other bonded partner. The exclusivity of these relics also points to the elevated status dragon riders hold in Navarrian society. They’re considered beautiful and almost sacred, which is why some of the marked cadets refer wryly to their Rebellion marks, intended to punish and isolate them, as “Rebellion relics.”
