Bloodmarked

Write an essay where you craft an argument about who the primary antagonist of the book is. You might argue that the antagonist is a person, like Erebus or the Regents, but you might also argue that the antagonist is a prevailing social system or ideology. Use textual evidence to not only argue for who/what the primary antagonist is, but why they are the antagonist.

There are three main groups of people defying the Regents and Operating Outside of Authority for Moral Good: Legendborn (Samira, Gill, etc.), Rootcrafters (Patricia, Mariah, etc.) and “rogue” aether users (Lucille, Valec, the Morgaines, etc.). Write an essay that explains the motivation and values for each group’s rebellion and present an argument about which is most likely to find success.

Write an essay about Bree’s evolution through the novel: Each of the named parts of the novel, “Strength,” “Power,” “Control,” and “Volition” represent a characteristic Bree is working toward in that section. How does she master these four characteristics? How is the second named section of “Volition,” titled “Only a King,” additionally significant to Bree’s growth?

Legendborn and the Rootcrafter magic both depend on their ancestors in different ways. Write an essay about the way each group engages with their ancestor. What is the relationship for each between ancestors and power? What does this relationship say about that group’s larger ideologies?

Write a comparative essay about Bree’s relationship with Arthur and Vera. How are their powers intermingled? What different expectations do Bree’s ancestors put on her, and what does she expect from them in return? How do these ancestor relationships grow (or crumble) through the novel?

Legendborn was set mainly at the Southern Chapter’s headquarters, the University of North Carolina, where Bree felt like an outsider. In Bloodmarked, Bree and her friends end up in two settings where Bree feels at home, the Crossroads Lounge and Volition. When Bree enters Crossroads, she says, “I’m some place where I’m more at home than the Legendborn are. A world of magic users who look like me, even if we aren’t exactly the same” (308). Each of these settings contains objects that denote their larger values: the Order displays manacles they used to hunt and capture witches, Crossroads has the head of a dragon to show their rebellion from the Order, and Volition has bottle trees to honor the spirits and protection given by their ancestors. Compare the Southern Chapter’s headquarters at UNC with either the Crossroads Lounge or Volition. What are these settings like? What kinds of objects do they contain and what do those objects say about what they value?

Many characters feel The Power and Pressure of Legacy. Sel is haunted by the possibility of succumbing to his blood due to his demon ancestry. Bree feels pressure from both Arthur and Vera to honor their legacy. William feels conflicted about using Gawain’s power to hurt people when he only wants to be a healer. Pick one character—one of these three or someone else—and write an essay about how their legacy conflicts with their personality, character, and values. How does this character’s expectations for their legacy influence their behavior or conflict with how they want to live their life? How do they act in response to this conflict?

Lucille explains that Volition is a mass gravesite that is both a place of “mourning” and “healing.” Mariah expresses dismay that if Rootcrafters hadn’t bought Volition, it might have become a destination wedding spot for white people. While Volition is the fictional former Guthrie Plantation, this is a reality for many real-life former plantations. Pick one real-life plantation and research it: What is its history from the era of enslavement? What has happened to it since then, and what is its status now? Using what we know from Bloodmarked about what happened on plantations, what do you think about how your chosen location is depicting its history?