Fourth Wing: Chapter 6 Analysis

In this chapter we can see some past relationships that Violet has fostered throughout her life. Nolon and Winifred seem to have a lot of love and respect for Violet, proving that she is liked by many, despite her mom’s history. Having a mender and a healer in your corner is only a benefit to Violet in the Riders Quadrant. It’s interesting learning more about the different signets and their many qualities. Along with this, the types of serums and potions used to heal people is interesting. 

Tensions between Violet and Dain continue to grow, and it’s going to come to some kind of stand off or breaking point between them. Dain wants to protect Violet because he knows she has a disability that makes her physically weak, not to mention how small she is. Violet is incredibly tough mentally. She can put negative emotions like pain and anger in an imaginary box, so she’s less affected. She can also problem solve faster than the average human. She feels that Dain undermining her physical ability is unfair, because she has the mental capacity to outshine everyone else in the quadrant. They don’t see eye to eye regarding this, but Dain ultimately has to let her carve her own path, even if it means he may lose her. Giving up control when it comes to someone you care about takes a lot of strength. 

Once Violet is mended, there’s an implication that she’s going to be viewed as weak by the others. Mending is almost seen as cheating, and shows weakness. 

Mira bringing Violet Brennan’s book changes her outlook on future on-mat challenges. She’s going to be able to see who she’s fighting the night before the match, and plan accordingly. It’ll be interesting to see how she uses that to her advantage when she still lacks the physical size and strength to take on most cadets. The moment when Violet is reading the notes is sentimental, because it shows how much Brennan and Mira cared about Violet’s wellbeing. Knowing that Mira wants to set a good example for Violet is endearing. In Navarrian culture, when someone dies the family burns all of their belongings. Luckily, Brennan’s book wasn’t burned with his things when he died. Rhiannon notes that her family doesn’t burn everything either, because it’s nice to have something to remind you of that person and their associated memories.