Pax

When Vola makes puppets, Peter notices one set apart, The Roc, the largest puppet. An absolutely magnificent bird with hundreds of dark feathers, “the tips painted red, as if licked with fire” (147). Vola says to Peter “Most of the others are head and shoulder puppets, but this one needs to fly. I jointed him at the elbow. When he soars, you can almost feel the wind” (147). This imagery is also reminiscent of the phoenix, a bird that bursts into flames. The Phoenix embodies the belief that new life can come from the ashes of the old and was a significant symbol to Peter because of his mother’s phoenix charm bracelet.

The phoenix supports the theme of False-acting, in that humans can retrain their path to be honest people. Additionally, the phoenix suggests there is hope for the dismantled, war-ridden landscape.

Vola’s name means “to fly,” aligning her with Peter as someone who resonates with their wild self. Throughout the book, there are connections to birds and the elements as well as examples of human beings as part of nature, intrinsically connected to it, not separate from it.