The Theme of Person Versus Self in Child of the Prophecy

An academic essay exploring the theme of person vs. self in Juliet Marillier's novel, Child of the Prophecy.

                All forms of fictional literature have a common theme that is discussed throughout the piece of writing. These themes play an important role in developing the story and identifying conflict within the story. Juliet Marillier succeeds in using the theme of person versus self in her novel by using the conscience of the protagonist, Fainne throughout the novel. The theme of person versus self can be identified in Juliet Marillier’s Child of the Prophecy through Fainne’s grandmother, the prophecy, and Fainne’s constant struggle between her id and her superego, which can be supported using “Sometimes My Body Leaves Me” by Lorna Crozier.

                Fainne’s grandmother, Oonagh fuels her granddaughter’s inner struggle by poisoning her mind to have her believe that destroying her mother’s family would be in her best interest, acting as a manifestation of Fainne’s dark side. This can be seen when the lady Oonagh reminds Fainne of all the terrible things her mother’s family have done and how they destroyed her parents’ lives. One part of Fainne believes her grandmother and wants revenge, but another part of her tries to fight against these evil thoughts. A quote from Child of the Prophecy to support this is “Show me you don’t care about these folk. They are the people who sent your mother from her home, into the arms of a man so cruel she never recovered from it. They are the folk who planted hope in your father’s heart, only to tear it from him… They care nothing for you… Where is your rage? Show me your strength. I felt it then, welling within me… I could do what she wanted… I need only use what Father himself had taught me. Yet he had said… “Sometimes,” I whispered, “it shows greater strength of will not to act…” ” (Marillier, 174). Similarly, by looking at Lorna Crozier’s “Sometimes My Body Leaves Me”, the theme of person vs. self is evident through this quote “What does it do when it sits alone without a book or anything resembling love?” (Crozier). The book mentioned in the poem can represent Fainne’s surety of what to do, which is lacking because of Oonagh’s pressure on her. This quote supports the idea of struggling against the self without a defined direction. Oonagh’s pressure on her granddaughter to avenge Fainne’s parents causes her to doubt herself, which is supported by both quotations.

                Fainne’s fight against her own subconscious is also guided by the prophecy. This prophecy that was foretold to Fainne’s ancestors states that the child who will end the war between the Irish and the British to reclaim the Islands will be of neither British nor Irish blood, but both and bear the mark of the raven. The triumph of the final battle for the Irish depends upon the child of the prophecy, which many suspect to be Fainne. This can be seen when Fainne talks to herself about her own hand in fulfilling the prophecy and whether her actions have any bearing upon the outcome of what is foretold. A quote from Child of the Prophecy to support this is “If the Old Ones were right, this was not just about the winning or losing of a battle. It went far beyond that. It was about the difference between a future, or no future at all. Surely such momentous events must unfold regardless of anything I might do.” (Marillier, 247). By examining “Sometimes My Body Leaves Me”, the same idea is presented which supports Fainne’s fears and wonders about the fate of her and her country. A quote from the poem to support this is “There it bangs about like an angry thief. What is it looking for?” (Crozier). The angry thief can represent Fainne’s concience wrestling with itself and Fainne wondering whether her concience has any bearing upon the fate of her world. This supports the idea of Fainne’s struggle with herself. These thoughts and ideas from Fainne are brought about by the knowledge of the prophecy, which weighs heavily upon her inner struggle.

                The theme of person versus self through Fainne’s fight against her own conscience can also be interpreted as the id and the superego, using Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theory. Oonagh may be seen as the physical manifestation of Fainne’s id, while Fainne’s own conscience represents the superego. This can be seen when Fainne is struggling with fulfilling her grandmother’s wishes against her own morals and values that had been taught to her by her father. A quote from Child of the Prophecy to support this is “Why had she made me do it? She didn’t make you do it, the unwanted voice within me whispered. You did it all by yourself. It’s the blood you bear. You can’t help yourself…. I- I don’t think I want to be who I am… I willed this voice to stop tormenting me, but it would not. The voice was my own and could not be silenced.” (Marillier, 182-183). “Sometimes My Body Leaves Me” expresses a similar conflict with the self, which supports Sigmund Freud’s idea of the id and the superego and Fainne’s struggle between the two. A quote from the poem to support this is “Sometimes my body leaves me… I don’t know what sounds to make to call it back.” (Crozier). Fainne feels as though her own body has left her and is beyond her control, leaving her with no way to reclaim that control and call it back to her. The conflict between Fainne’s id and superego are represented by Oonagh, and Fainne’s own conscience.

                Through the examination of Child of the Prophecy, by Juliet Marillier, using “Sometimes My Body Leaves Me” by Lorna Crozier as a supportive piece of literature, one may find that the theme of person versus self is very prevalent throughout the novel, which can be seen through Oonagh’s pressure on Fainne, the prophecy, and Fainne’s own struggle between her id and her superego. By using Fainne’s own concience, Marillier succeeds in creating this major theme. Themes are integral to developing story plots and characters and play a large role in all forms of fictional literature.

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Works Cited

Crozier, Lorna. “Sometimes My Body Leaves Me”. Accessed by Mr. Johnson on May 22, 2007.

Marillier, Juliet. Child of the Prophecy. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 2002.

Freud, Sigmund. Psychoanalytical Theory. Accessed by Mr. Johnson in April, 2007.

Author's Note

This essay is probably one of my favourites, purely because it challenged me more than my other essays I had written in English class and because I was able to take in more sources to support my thesis for this essay, with Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytical Theory embedded heavily within my thesis. Although this essay was more difficult than my other ones, I feel that it turned out better than most of my other essays, because it carries a deeper understanding within it. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.