Shadow & Claw | Themes

Shadow & Claw Themes

Duty and Honor

The reader will find that duty and honor is a continual theme in regard to Severian. Although these ideals are not called duty and honor, the thing that seems to cause him pain is that he harmed the name of the guild that had raised him. He loved Thecla and couldn't bear to see her hurt and so he gave her the knife to end her own life. Severian becomes ashamed of his action, although he wasn't sorry for helping Thecla. Much of the conflict that occurs in the story for the main character is because of the combination of his feeling of duty and honor and the fact that he has compassion.

Severian shows how serious his duties are once he has left the guild. He has ample reason to hate Agilus for trying to kill him but still tries to calm him and give him what consideration...
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