Fable

The cutthroat world of the Narrows forces Young’s characters to find a precarious balance between heeding the perils of attachment and fulfilling their need for belonging. This theme is closely linked to the novel’s genre as a maritime adventure. Seafaring is essential to the region’s commerce, and crews must work together to survive the hazards of the sea, storms, and rival ships. Because of these external threats, there are rules to minimize tension among crews: “There were only two things strictly forbidden on a ship because both could get you or your shipmates killed: love and drunkenness” (88). In this story, the couples who break this rule face hardship. For example, the tragic ending of Saint and Isolde’s love story shapes the plot. The name of Fable’s mother brings to mind the tale of Tristan and Isolde. The classic love story has been interpreted by various writers through the ages, including Béroul in the 12th-century epic poem The Romance of Tristan. Isolde’s literary associations with a famous example of doomed love accentuate the character’s connection to the perils of attachment. Young uses nautical metaphors to express how losing Isolde changes Saint: “She was the pattern of stars that he navigated by, the sum of all directions on his compass. And he was lost without her” (345). Though the powerful helmsman stands atop the Narrows’ commercial ladder, his facade of invulnerability is a far cry from his inner devastation. Saint’s grief over Isolde shapes the novel’s plot by contributing to his decision to leave the protagonist on Jeval; he keeps Fable away from him because he cannot bear to lose another loved one. While Saint appears unfeeling at first, Young gradually reveals that he is living proof of the perils of attachment.

Fable and West’s love story further examines the theme and transforms the protagonist’s understanding of attachment and belonging. At the start of the novel, Fable lives by Saint’s rules, especially the last one: “Never, under any circumstances, reveal what or who matters to you” (9). She internalizes her father’s cynicism and tells herself that connections are only weaknesses to exploit. Likewise, West initially tries to quash his romantic feelings for Fable lest her ties to Saint endanger his crew. Willa explains how this connection makes Fable dangerous even if she would never purposely hurt West: “You matter to someone who has made our lives very difficult. Someone who could do a lot more damage than he already has” (320). The threat posed by Saint provides a reminder that familial attachments can be as dangerous as romantic ones in this world. Fable and West’s first kiss takes place underwater “in an upside-down world” where there is “[n]o Saint or Zola or Jeval” to show that they’re trying to shelter their love from those who would use it against them (313). When they find the courage to pursue their relationship above the surface, their love immediately places them in danger: The day after they confess their feelings and spend the night together, Zola abducts Fable when she leaves the ship to buy back West’s ring, offering clear evidence of the perils of attachment. Ultimately, Fable decides that finding true belonging is worth the risk.