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Chapter 14
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Poppy War, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dehumanization and the Horrors of War
Identity, Cultural Trauma, and Coming of Age
The Purpose of Education
Addiction, Drugs, and Control
History
Summary
Analysis
Following the raid on the Federation supply ships, the Ram and Ox Warlords begin to openly support Altan—though they take credit for his success. Altan doesn’t mind. Jun is the only person who thinks Altan made a mistake, as he insists that the Federation feels humiliated and will now be intent on revenge. However, the Federation does eventually approach the Militia with a wagon and a white flag. Jun wants to shoot the untrustworthy Federation soldiers anyway, but the Ram and Ox Warlords decide to let Altan deal with it. That way, Altan can take the blame if things turn bad.
The novel has thus far encouraged readers to scoff whenever Jun makes a suggestion, as he’s proven himself to be self-important, bigoted, and generally unwilling to give credit to anyone he deems unworthy (like Altan or Rin). The Federation’s approach—and the fact that they seem ready to surrender—looks promising on its face, but note that pretty much everyone at least considers the possibility that this is a trick (hence the Warlords’ reputation-preserving plan to let Altan run the show here).
Themes
Altan goes to meet the Federation delegates. Rin is disturbed that they look more Sinegardian than she and Altan do, with their dark skin. The delegates request a 48-hour ceasefire so they can negotiate a surrender, and they’ve brought salt and sugar to demonstrate their goodwill. Jun makes the Federation soldiers taste the sugar, and when it’s deemed nonpoisonous, Altan insists that they let civilians have it. The discussion moves to an office, and the delegate reveals that the Federation has no plans to surrender—they want Khurdalain to surrender. They’re clearly worthy of joining the Federation, unlike the rest of the “weak” and undeveloped country. Surrendering Khurdalain now will save everyone from dying when the Federation takes the city by force. After a few minutes of argument and insults, Ramsa rushes in, shrieking that the wagon contained saltpeter, not salt.
Once again, Rin is confronted with the fact that her enemies are just as human as she is. And in this case, they even look more like they belong in Sinegard, given their complexions. However, whatever humanity the Federation delegation might’ve expressed disappears as soon as their intentions become clear: they want Nikan to surrender, and either way, the saltpeter (an explosive compound) is going to blow up Khurdalain. It becomes somewhat rich, then, when the Federation delegate praises Khurdalain’s citizens as being “worthy.” They’re not worthy enough, it seems, to be seen as inherently deserving of life.
Themes
The delegate laughs just before a huge explosion throws Rin to the ground and she loses her hearing. The Ox Warlord decapitates the delegate, but everyone else in the room is okay. Outside, everything is coated in ash. The explosion blew the fronts off of buildings and threw people into walls, killing them. Rin tries to find survivors, passing a man dangling from the fifth floor of a blown-open building. He falls to his death before anyone can save him, and Rin muses that the Cike only know to destroy things—they don’t know how to use their gods to help or protect people.
Suddenly, Khurdalain becomes a nightmare landscape. Jun was right: they shouldn’t have trusted the Federation delegation. Recall that after Rin’s first hallucinogen-enhanced meditation, Jiang told her that she could then dedicate herself to divination or healing. Such avenues would’ve allowed her to help people, placing them in opposition to the Cike and its purpose of killing others.
Themes
Surprisingly, the Federation doesn’t attack that evening. Civilians look for survivors and then bodies, burning the dead. Rin helps out the medics, tying tourniquets for people while they wait to be seen. As she ties one for a young woman’s arm, the woman laments that she didn’t leave Khurdalain weeks ago—not that she has anywhere to go.
The situation seems increasingly hopeless. Khurdalain might not be safe anymore, but as the young woman notes, there’s nowhere else for the civilians to go. Nikan’s highly trained military remains unable to effectively serve and protect the country’s civilians.
Themes
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