For a civilization that had gods with the heads of animals, the ancient Egyptians were way obsessed with order. And not like, what order should we watch these movies in? We're talking about the very order of the universe: order as opposed to chaos. It's serious business, man.
In The Red Pyramid, Sadie and Carter learn this for themselves when they embark on their quest to understand how the rules of Egyptian magic apply to their own lives. Upholding order doesn't always mean that the consequences are fair, or that you get what you want. Nope: order means finding balance and making choices that allow the greatest good for the greatest number of people. That may not be fun on a personal level, but it sure helps save the world.
Questions About Rules and Order
- How are order and language connected in the book?
- Not counting the scales in the Land of the Dead, how might you describe order as a sense of balance?
- How do Sadie and Carter each struggle with the sense of order that is pushed on them in their lives?
- Chaos is personified in Apophis the serpent, while all order or Ma'at gets is a pair of scales. Why do you think that is?