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Chapter 10
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Stardust, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Youth, Aging, and Maturity
Love and Ownership
Home and Belonging
Rules
The Value of Literature
Summary
Analysis
The citizens of the Stormhold are thrilled when Lady Una returns and announces that her son and his bride will soon come to Stormhold so he can rule. Tristran and Yvaine, however, take three years to make it to an inn near Stormhold. Seeing how well Lady Una is doing, Tristran sends his mother a note saying they’re going to travel more. They return five years later, and Tristran assumes his place as the 82nd Lord of Stormhold. He makes good decisions and ushers in an era of peace. Yvaine asks to take the highest rooms in the Stormhold, which have partially collapsed. She can see the stars through the open ceiling. Yvaine and Tristran are happy and, finally, Tristran dies. Rumor has it that he was part of the Fellowship of the Castle.
Tristran and Yvaine’s journey offers them both more time to grow up, which in turn means that Tristran can fully step into his role as ruler when he’s ready to do so. The unspoken implication here is that Tristran took the lesson Morwanneg offered to heart and valued his youth while it lasted—and then made the best of his old age until he finally died. The novel offers no real explanation for the Fellowship of the Castle, but it’s implied that both Captain Alberic and the little hairy man were members, along with Tristran. Based on Alberic and the hairy man’s behavior, it was a positive group focused on mentoring young people.
Themes
Yvaine takes over as Lady of Stormhold and rules impressively well. She still limps, and she still glitters in the dark. Whenever she can, she climbs to the tallest point of the palace and watches the stars “with sad eyes.”
