The Girl Who Drank the Moon

by

Kelly Barnhill

Zosimos Character Analysis

Zosimos was Xan’s mentor; he’s been dead for 500 years. He was an old wizard even when Xan met him, but he began to decline quickly after taking Xan under his wing. Zosimos was one of the magicians who lived in the castle and studied magic, but he thought it was extremely unethical when the Sorrow Eater brought in a child (Xan) to experimentally enmagic and study. He loved to speak about things in an obscure manner, which infuriated Xan, but he also understood her penchant for forgetting. Before his death, he hid the castle and his life’s work for Xan to rediscover later. Zosimos died alongside Fyrian’s mother, when both of them dove into the volcano to stop the eruption.

Zosimos Quotes in The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The The Girl Who Drank the Moon quotes below are all either spoken by Zosimos or refer to Zosimos. 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 8 Quotes

But he didn’t kill the Witch. The Witch killed him instead.

This is why it doesn’t pay to be brave. Bravery makes nothing, protects nothing, results in nothing. It only makes you dead. And this is why we don’t stand up to the Witch. Because even a powerful old wizard was no match for her.

Related Characters: The Parent (speaker), Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Zosimos, Fyrian’s Mother
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 8. In Which a Story Contains a Hint of Truth59
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“I remember. All at once.” He shook his head. “Why had I forgotten?”

Xan pushed her wrinkled lips to one side. “Sorrow is dangerous. Or, at least, it was. I can’t remember why, now. I think we both became accustomed to not remembering things. We just let things get...foggy.”

Related Characters: Xan (speaker), Glerk (speaker), Luna, Zosimos
Page Number: Chapter 9. In Which Several Things Go Wrong68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

But the volcano never really went out. The wizard stopped it up, but it went underground. And it leaks its fury into the water pools and the mud vats and the noxious vents. It poisons the Bog. It contaminates the water. It is the reason why our children go hungry and our grandmothers wither and our crops are so often doomed to fail. It is the reason we cannot ever leave this place and there is no use trying.

Related Characters: The Parent (speaker), Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Zosimos, Fyrian’s Mother
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 29. In Which There Is a Story with a Volcano in It242
Explanation and Analysis:
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Zosimos Quotes in The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The The Girl Who Drank the Moon quotes below are all either spoken by Zosimos or refer to Zosimos. 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 8 Quotes

But he didn’t kill the Witch. The Witch killed him instead.

This is why it doesn’t pay to be brave. Bravery makes nothing, protects nothing, results in nothing. It only makes you dead. And this is why we don’t stand up to the Witch. Because even a powerful old wizard was no match for her.

Related Characters: The Parent (speaker), Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Zosimos, Fyrian’s Mother
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 8. In Which a Story Contains a Hint of Truth59
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“I remember. All at once.” He shook his head. “Why had I forgotten?”

Xan pushed her wrinkled lips to one side. “Sorrow is dangerous. Or, at least, it was. I can’t remember why, now. I think we both became accustomed to not remembering things. We just let things get...foggy.”

Related Characters: Xan (speaker), Glerk (speaker), Luna, Zosimos
Page Number: Chapter 9. In Which Several Things Go Wrong68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

But the volcano never really went out. The wizard stopped it up, but it went underground. And it leaks its fury into the water pools and the mud vats and the noxious vents. It poisons the Bog. It contaminates the water. It is the reason why our children go hungry and our grandmothers wither and our crops are so often doomed to fail. It is the reason we cannot ever leave this place and there is no use trying.

Related Characters: The Parent (speaker), Sister Ignatia/The Sorrow Eater, Zosimos, Fyrian’s Mother
Related Symbols: The Witch
Page Number: Chapter 29. In Which There Is a Story with a Volcano in It242
Explanation and Analysis: