Graceling Theme of Strength and Skill

What do you think of when you hear the words strength and skill?

• Professional Athletes?
• Stunt Doubles?
• Shmoop Lit Guide Writers?

You'd be justified on all accounts, of course. Everyone in that list is capable of some serious heavy lifting, and all of them possess a high level of physical ingenuity. (Hey—keyboarding is difficult, not to mention tough on the wrists. Ever heard of carpal tunnel syndrome?)

That said, one doesn't have to be a heavy lifter to possess strength and skill. Just as Katsa is adept with her fists and legs, swords and daggers, Po is adept with his emotional IQ. He takes tough situations and cuts through the melodrama like a surgeon cuts through… whatever surgeons cut through. Muscles? Tissue? Anything that's in the way, probably.

The point is, that while Katsa exhibits superior physical strength and skill in Graceling, Po demonstrates superior emotional strength and skill. And the more time they spend together, the better each one becomes at the other's area of expertise, which in turn seems to help them become better at their own. It's kind of trippy the way that works. Kind of like a Möbius strip.

1. Katsa has been able to defend herself since she was a wee one, so when she and Po begin training together, the idea is that the training sessions will help to improve Po's fighting skill. Do the sessions help to improve Katsa's physical abilities? How? What else does Katsa get out of these training sessions?
2. Which strength/skill do you think is easier to improve: physical or emotional? Why?
3. Which is more important in her ultimate defeat of Leck—Katsa's physical skill or her emotional strength? Explain.

If not for her training sessions with Po, Katsa never would have been able to defeat Leck.

Emotional strength, just like physical strength, can be improved with practice.