In the eight chapter of Tris’s Book, Tris and Briar run crucial errands for Rosethorn and Lark, and they discover just how horrifying the situation in Winding Circle is. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Circle of Magic.Â
Well, everything is a lot more frightening than I thought it was. I think that’s my favorite aspect of what this chapter does: it paints a fuller picture of the threat out in the cove. We knew the potential of the pirate ships because of the damage witnessed in chapter six, but this specific chapter does a fine job with dread. In two scenes, we get to see the various ways in which the threat of attack has affected Winding Circle, all through Tris and Briar’s eyes.
Initially, this experience is very first-hand for these two. Tasked with contacting Honored Moonstream, Tris and Briar get a chance to head to the south gate, closest to the harbor, and it’s there that the signs of an imminent attack are everywhere:
Near the south gate, the crowds evaporated. None of the refugees seemed to want to get too close to the cove and whatever lay in it. The woodshops and forges between the Water and Fire temples, however, worked at full capacity. To the left, in the yard around the school for physical training run by the Fire Temple, red-robed dedicates and white-robed novices drilled with swords, wide-bladed spears, and shields.
It’s important that Pierce makes a point to state that there’s no army at Winding Circle; they’ve never really needed one. So what happens instead is that the people here all band together to help in whatever way they can to protect Winding Circle or provide supplies. That’s what we see in that scene with Dedicate Gorse later on, and it’s the main focus of this first scene as well. You’ve got dedicates, initiates, and novices from various temples working in tandem to solve a problem that is, admittedly, extremely complex and scary.
Within this, though, we’ve got some interesting moments between Briar and Tris. I think we’re seeing Briar begin to understand why it’s important that he look after his friends in Discipline. Like Tris, he’s not quick to trust others at all, but he also feels a slight responsibility to take care of her. That’s not something we saw from Briar once in Sandry’s Book. He cared about plants and animals, but his fellow students? Not so much. And it’s not exactly an easy task for him! He can sense when Tris is stressed out or upset, but he doesn’t quite know how he’d calm her down. That’s not really in his repertoire of skills, you know? Plus, Tris doesn’t make this easy for him, especially when she’s spouting classist and gendered rants about breeches to him. To Briar, Tris is still a merchant girl who has difficulty empathizing with anyone “beneath†her. (Which is fascinating to me on another level. Wouldn’t you normally expect Sandry, who has lived in nobility her whole life, to be like this?) Regardless, though, how many times does he try to help her of comfort her? It’s subtle, but it’s there, and you better believe I noticed it because FRIENDSHIP.
We also get a chance to meet Dedicate Skyfire, who runs the Fire Temple and intimidates practically EVERYONE. I mean, he’s a legendary soldier in Sotat! Briar is actually familiar with who he is! He’s abrasive, sort of like Rosethorn is, but he’s not cruel for the sake of it. His reaction to Tris’s improvisational magic is significant to me because it showed me that he was able to recognize her talent and he expressed a desire to see her develop it further. He wasn’t condescending to her, and I think that matters. Tris doesn’t operate well under condescension, and if she’s going to develop her powers independent of fear, she’ll have to be in a safe space to do so. Also: HOLY SHIT, TRIS, THAT WAS AMAZING.
So, we’ve got the pirate force launching these horrible thunder-weapon cannonball things? They’re clearly magical in nature, but where the hell did they get them? WHY IS EVERYTHING SO AWFUL?
Okay, it’s not all awful, but even when we get to the scene where Tris meets Dedicate Gorse for the first time, it’s clear that all of Winding Circle is in chaos. There are more people in the Hub kitchens than Briar has ever seen. There are refugees, hungry, and dedicates and novices hard at work to feed all those who are in need. Hell, Briar and Tris are just adding to that, though Gorse appreciates the specific need that Frostpine and Daja have. He knows that the protection of Winding Circle is of the utmost importance. So while a lot of this scene builds atmosphere, I also wanted to acknowledge that it helps build character, too. Tris realizes that she’d created this idea in her head that Gorse was mean and cruel, but she sees he’s nothing of the sort. What I’m hoping this does is force Tris to realize that she’s got to start questioning her own preconceived notions of other people. Some of that helps her, I won’t deny that. When it come to her own safety, she judges others harshly because she’s got a history of being treated terribly. But what about her prejudices? Those need to be examined! But it’s a complicated journey for her because, as I said about Briar earlier, trust is not an easy concept for her.
Speaking of trust, I DON’T TRUST AYMERY. What’s going on with him? Why had he managed to be in the Hub’s kitchens without Gorse meeting him? Why does Tris think that he looked upset to see them when he first spots them? HE’S UP TO SOME NONSENSE, I’M CERTAIN OF IT.
The original text contains use of the word “mad†in various forms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OKoJJFVAuQ
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