The Girl Who Drank the Moon

by

Kelly Barnhill

A young, idealistic man from the Protectorate. The novel follows him from about age 13 into his mid-20s. As a teenager, Antain is an Elder-in-Training. His uncle Gherland, the leader of the Council of Elders, paints Antain as troublingly idealistic and curious, which is shown clearly when Antain expresses disbelief that the Elders just leave the sacrificed baby in the clearing, rather than making sure that the Witch takes the baby. Watching a woman (Adara) be forced to sacrifice her baby (Luna) is an experience that breaks Antain’s spirit and haunts him for the rest of his life. Though Antain knows that he has to follow the rules, his sense of horror in regards to the Day of Sacrifice means that he quietly tries to stand up for what’s right by pretending to be sick or otherwise occupied so he won’t have to participate. As a young boy, Antain was the servant for the Sisters of the Star and he regards the Sisters, especially Sister Ignatia, as family. However, in his late teens he visits the imprisoned Adara (referred to as the “madwoman” by the people in the Protectorate) in the Tower, and her paper birds attack him, badly scarring his face. After this, Antain begins to think differently about family. While he never gets along well with his own mother or most of his brothers, Antain recognizes that they are more of a family to him than the Sisters were. Following the attack, Antain focuses on his real love, woodworking, and becomes a renowned furniture maker in both the Protectorate and the Free Cities. Antain continues to develop his devotion to his family as he marries his childhood crush, Ethyne, and the two have a son, Luken. Antain begins to suspect that hope and love are extremely powerful when he recognizes that despite his scarred face, Ethyne loves him anyway—something he thought impossible. This leads him to question the Day of Sacrifice as a whole and vow to kill the Witch and save the Protectorate’s children. A sensitive and nonviolent person by nature, Antain struggles as he navigates the forest, though he does emerge alive and victorious. He eventually learns the truth about the Witch and the Day of Sacrifice, and the horrific practice is stopped.

Antain Quotes in The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The The Girl Who Drank the Moon quotes below are all either spoken by Antain or refer to Antain. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family and Love Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

They left knowing that there surely wasn’t a witch. There never had been a witch. There were only a dangerous forest and a single road and a thin grip on a life that the Elders had enjoyed for generations. The Witch—that is, the belief in her—made for a frightened people, a subdued people, a compliant people, who lived their lives in a saddened haze, the clouds of their grief numbing their senses and dampening their minds. It was terribly convenient for the Elders’ unencumbered rule.

Related Characters: Luna, Antain, Grand Elder Gherland
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 2. In Which an Unfortunate Woman Goes Quite Mad12
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

(“But what if they all are important, Uncle?” Antain had asked the Grand Elder once.

“They can’t possibly be. In any case, by denying access, we give our people a gift. They learn to accept their lot in life. They learn that any action is inconsequential. Their days remain, as they should be, cloudy. There is no greater gift than that. Now. Where is my Zirin tea?”)

Related Characters: Antain (speaker), Grand Elder Gherland (speaker)
Page Number: Chapter 6. In Which Antain Gets Himself in Trouble43
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

Most were sent packing at the age of twelve—right when they had begun to get comfortable. Once they became aware of how much learning there was to be had in the libraries of the Tower and they became hungry for it, they were sent away.

Related Characters: Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Antain
Page Number: Chapter 13. In Which Antain Pays a Visit85-86
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

What if we are wrong about the Witch? What if we are wrong about the sacrifice? Antain wondered. The question itself was revolutionary. And astonishing. What would happen if we tried?

Why had the thought never occurred to him before?

Related Characters: Antain (speaker), Ethyne, Luken
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 18. In Which a Witch Is Discovered147
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

Luna didn’t have very many memories that were as tenacious as this one—her memory, typically, was a slippery thing, and difficult to pin down—and so she hung on to it. This image meant something. She was sure of it.

Her grandmother, now that she thought about it, never spoke of memories. Not ever.

Related Characters: Luna, Xan, Antain, The Madwoman/Adara, Grand Elder Gherland
Page Number: Chapter 19. In Which There Is a Journey to the Town of Agony161
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

While it was annoying to have to go hungry in one’s own home, there was always sorrow aplenty throughout the Protectorate, hanging over the town like a cloud.

Or normally there was. But this blasted hope stirred up by Antain was spreading through the town, disrupting the sorrow. Sister Ignatia felt her stomach rumble.

Related Characters: Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Antain, The Madwoman/Adara, Grand Elder Gherland
Page Number: Chapter 28. In Which Several People Go into the Woods230
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 33 Quotes

Antain kneeled down. “I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I’m so, so sorry.” He scooped up the bird in his hands. It didn’t look healthy. How could it, in these cursed woods? Half the water was poisoned. The Witch. It all came back to the Witch. Curse her name forever.

Related Characters: Antain (speaker), Xan
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 33. In Which the Witch Encounters an Old Acquaintance265
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 38 Quotes

But as the clouds broke and the sky began to clear, they found themselves feeling something else, too. Something they had never felt before.

Here is the baby holding her own sweet baby. My grandchild. Here is her knowing that no one will ever take that child away.

Hope. They felt hope.

Here is the baby in his circle of friends. He is laughing. He loves his life.

Joy. They felt joy.

Related Characters: Antain, Ethyne
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 38. In Which the Fog Begins to Lift314
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 45 Quotes

How many feelings can one heart hold? She looked at her grandmother. At her mother. At the man protecting his family. Infinite, Luna thought. The way the universe is infinite. It is light and dark and endless motion; it is space and time, and space within space, and time within time. And she knew: there is no limit to what the heart can carry.

Related Characters: Luna, Xan, Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Antain, The Madwoman/Adara
Page Number: Chapter 45. In Which a Simply Enormous Dragon Makes a Simply Enormous Decision364
Explanation and Analysis:
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Antain Quotes in The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The The Girl Who Drank the Moon quotes below are all either spoken by Antain or refer to Antain. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family and Love Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

They left knowing that there surely wasn’t a witch. There never had been a witch. There were only a dangerous forest and a single road and a thin grip on a life that the Elders had enjoyed for generations. The Witch—that is, the belief in her—made for a frightened people, a subdued people, a compliant people, who lived their lives in a saddened haze, the clouds of their grief numbing their senses and dampening their minds. It was terribly convenient for the Elders’ unencumbered rule.

Related Characters: Luna, Antain, Grand Elder Gherland
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 2. In Which an Unfortunate Woman Goes Quite Mad12
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

(“But what if they all are important, Uncle?” Antain had asked the Grand Elder once.

“They can’t possibly be. In any case, by denying access, we give our people a gift. They learn to accept their lot in life. They learn that any action is inconsequential. Their days remain, as they should be, cloudy. There is no greater gift than that. Now. Where is my Zirin tea?”)

Related Characters: Antain (speaker), Grand Elder Gherland (speaker)
Page Number: Chapter 6. In Which Antain Gets Himself in Trouble43
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

Most were sent packing at the age of twelve—right when they had begun to get comfortable. Once they became aware of how much learning there was to be had in the libraries of the Tower and they became hungry for it, they were sent away.

Related Characters: Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Antain
Page Number: Chapter 13. In Which Antain Pays a Visit85-86
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

What if we are wrong about the Witch? What if we are wrong about the sacrifice? Antain wondered. The question itself was revolutionary. And astonishing. What would happen if we tried?

Why had the thought never occurred to him before?

Related Characters: Antain (speaker), Ethyne, Luken
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 18. In Which a Witch Is Discovered147
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

Luna didn’t have very many memories that were as tenacious as this one—her memory, typically, was a slippery thing, and difficult to pin down—and so she hung on to it. This image meant something. She was sure of it.

Her grandmother, now that she thought about it, never spoke of memories. Not ever.

Related Characters: Luna, Xan, Antain, The Madwoman/Adara, Grand Elder Gherland
Page Number: Chapter 19. In Which There Is a Journey to the Town of Agony161
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

While it was annoying to have to go hungry in one’s own home, there was always sorrow aplenty throughout the Protectorate, hanging over the town like a cloud.

Or normally there was. But this blasted hope stirred up by Antain was spreading through the town, disrupting the sorrow. Sister Ignatia felt her stomach rumble.

Related Characters: Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Antain, The Madwoman/Adara, Grand Elder Gherland
Page Number: Chapter 28. In Which Several People Go into the Woods230
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 33 Quotes

Antain kneeled down. “I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I’m so, so sorry.” He scooped up the bird in his hands. It didn’t look healthy. How could it, in these cursed woods? Half the water was poisoned. The Witch. It all came back to the Witch. Curse her name forever.

Related Characters: Antain (speaker), Xan
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 33. In Which the Witch Encounters an Old Acquaintance265
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 38 Quotes

But as the clouds broke and the sky began to clear, they found themselves feeling something else, too. Something they had never felt before.

Here is the baby holding her own sweet baby. My grandchild. Here is her knowing that no one will ever take that child away.

Hope. They felt hope.

Here is the baby in his circle of friends. He is laughing. He loves his life.

Joy. They felt joy.

Related Characters: Antain, Ethyne
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 38. In Which the Fog Begins to Lift314
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 45 Quotes

How many feelings can one heart hold? She looked at her grandmother. At her mother. At the man protecting his family. Infinite, Luna thought. The way the universe is infinite. It is light and dark and endless motion; it is space and time, and space within space, and time within time. And she knew: there is no limit to what the heart can carry.

Related Characters: Luna, Xan, Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Antain, The Madwoman/Adara
Page Number: Chapter 45. In Which a Simply Enormous Dragon Makes a Simply Enormous Decision364
Explanation and Analysis: