Graceling Theme of Power

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent," and that's essentially what Po keeps telling Katsa about her role as Randa's enforcer: Randa can't make her hurt people. He can't make her do much of anything. (Who can?)

Unfortunately, over the years Randa has manipulated Katsa into believing that she has no power of her own and that she has no choice but to do as he says. Thankfully Katsa begins to realize that she does have choices. (We always do, you know, it's just that sometimes one of the choices is really unpalatable… Still, it's a choice.)

As Katsa begins to make her own choices, she begins to take control. And as she takes control, she gains power. The thing about control though, is that like most things, it's good in mderate amounts. Why? Because you can't control everything. And if you try to you'll wind up losing power by limiting your choices. It's kind of a funky balancing act, this whole choice-control-power thing, and it's one that Katsa's trying to get a handle on in Graceling.

1. For many years, Randa has used Katsa to help keep his subjects in order. What do you suppose happened when Katsa left? Do you think anything changed?
2. In Chapter 12, Po repeatedly tells Katsa that she is a large part of the reason Randa is so powerful. Had this occurred to you before Po began to discuss it with Katsa? As you read about the mission she completed with Oll and Giddon in Chapter 4, as well as Katsa's flashback to her first ever mission for Randa, did it ever occur to you that without her, Randa would be much weaker?
3. Can you think of other situations in which a person who appears to have a great deal of power is actually only able to remain powerful so long as the people beneath him or her continue to play their parts? Try. And then explain.
4. Are there situations in which you feel powerful? What do you think makes you powerful in these situations?
5. Are there situations in which you feel weak or powerless? Are their choices you could make that might change those situations?
6. Po tells Katsa that she is the most powerful person he's ever known. Do you think he's right? What is it that gives Katsa such great power? Who do you think is the most powerful character in the book and why? Who seems to be the weakest? Why?

[Katsa, Po, Leck] has the most powerful Grace.

One of the reasons Katsa is so powerful is that she has no obligations to a spouse or to children. Having a family considerably decreases one's personal power.