Who wears the pants in Tilja's world? When she's at home it's her parents, but on the road Meena and Alnor are often in charge. Eventually Tilja takes over, since she's the only one who knows who they're looking for (insert Ropemaker reference here).
While they're trekking through the Empire, who wields power is really important. The Emperor abuses his power and oppresses his people, and his Watchers have a monopoly on any/all magicians they can get their hands on. By virtue of being unregistered strangers, Tilja and her band of travelers are in trouble with the powers that be if they get caught. Plus Faheel might not be what Tilja thinks he'll be—though there's little doubt about how powerful he is.
And, of course, over the course of the book Tilja goes from thinking she doesn't possess any magical power to understanding that she possesses a super rare and really cool magical power. So yup—everywhere you turn, power's in play in The Ropemaker.
Questions About Power
- What makes someone powerful in the Empire versus in the Valley?
- Is the Empire a wholly good or bad political structure? Is it a mix?
- What kind of structure do you think should take over the Empire now that it's fallen?
Chew on This
Faheel didn't tell Tilja the whole truth about the Empire or about his powers.
The Empire is just as complicated politically as the Valley.