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Chapter 17
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
Several weeks later, the Militia is struggling to hold Khurdalain as the Federation pushes forward. People are dying in skirmishes along the river, so they’re having to travel upstream to carry in uncontaminated water. The siege has now been going on for months, and the only plus side is that this means the central stronghold of Golyn Niis has more time to prepare. Rin is in Altan’s office, delivering an update and a request from the Fifth Division to discuss a beach offensive, when a scream interrupts their conversation. Altan and Rin rush to the sentry tower, where they find Qara writhing and moaning. She has no injuries, though she says it hurts. “He’s here,” she tells them.
The war continues to introduce Rin and readers to yet more horrific aspects of warfare, such as the contaminated water supply and the immense death toll that’s responsible for the contamination.
Themes
Altan immediately rushes away and takes a horse out the gates, barely making it back in before the Federation reaches the gates. He returns with a young man who nods that he “s[aw] him” and has “schematics.” Altan and Qara then berate the man for being “stupid” and reckless. Altan, Qara, and the young man—Chaghan, Qara’s “anchor twin”—lock themselves in Altan’s office. Baji explains Qara and Chaghan’s connection to Rin: if you hurt one, the other feels it, and if one dies, they both die. Nobody knows why Altan sent Chaghan away. Just then, Chaghan appears. He joins the others at the table and immediately brings up Rin’s “performance issues.” Rin is embarrassed and enraged, and privately, she thinks she could call the Phoenix now—if Altan would acknowledge her.
From the start, Chaghan establishes himself as a caustic, independent figure. He’ll do what he wants, when he wants, and though he ostensibly reports to Altan (and is clearly loyal to Altan), he acts like he’s in charge. The discussion of what Chaghan did and found is purposefully ambiguous now, but this does confirm that Altan is planning something beyond simply holding Khurdalain forever. Rin, meanwhile, simply wants to be treated like a fellow person with worth. This is why she craves Altan’s acknowledgement and why she seems to be withholding until she receives it.
Themes
Rin begins to insult Altan, and Chaghan sends Baji and Unegen away. He threatens to kill Rin if he speaks like that about Altan, though he sympathetically says that Altan is stressed and has no idea what he’s doing. He also suggests that Altan’s attempts to hold Khurdalain are doomed, as he believes Altan doesn’t know or accept that his superiors plan to let them lose the city. Finally, he says this loss will emotionally break Altan, since he’s so used to being special and winning. So, Chaghan says, Rin needs to figure things out and learn to call the Phoenix, so Altan can stop worrying.
Chaghan paints a sympathetic picture of Altan, if a flawed one. Altan is young and inexperienced—and like Rin, he craves success and praise like they’re drugs. Failure, meanwhile, will deprive his life of any meaning. This highlights Altan and Rin’s similarities, and Altan’s humanity. Chaghan also essentially encourages Rin to stop being selfish and to do her job—that’s the only way she can help Altan get anywhere close to the success he craves.
Themes
