Lord Foul’s Bane
Chapter 18: Eighteen: The Plains of Ra
by Donaldson, Stephen R.The chapter opens with Thomas Covenant awakening after a night of restless sleep, haunted by dreams of his leprosy checks. The battlefield around him is scarred by the aftermath of conflict, with trenches filled with the dead and saplings planted as markers. Despite his disgust at not contributing to the burial efforts, Covenant is consumed by his internal struggle—whether to participate in the Land’s conflicts or remain detached, both paths seeming to lead to madness. His blood-stained robe symbolizes his growing entanglement in a world he cannot fully accept or deny, leaving him paralyzed by indecision.
Covenant’s turmoil deepens as he interacts with Lord Mhoram, who, despite his exhaustion, offers kindness. Covenant recoils from the term “my friend,” fearing emotional attachment. He seeks out Foamfollower, the Giant, who is visibly wounded and distressed. Their conversation shifts to the fate of Llaura and Pietten, victims of Lord Foul’s cruelty. Foamfollower’s anguish over Pietten’s suffering and his own choice to give healing hurtloam to a dying Cavewight instead of the child highlights the moral complexities of their situation, reinforcing Covenant’s bleak view of their inevitable downfall.
Covenant’s cynicism surfaces as he reflects on Lord Foul’s manipulation, predicting that their efforts to save the Land will only hasten its destruction. Foamfollower challenges this fatalism, distinguishing between prophecy and foresight, but Covenant remains skeptical. The Giant’s resilience and sacrifice—enduring pain to aid others—contrasts sharply with Covenant’s self-absorption. Yet even Foamfollower’s strength wavers, his wounds a physical manifestation of the group’s collective suffering and the weight of their choices.
As the company gathers for a meal, Covenant’s hunger mirrors his unresolved dilemma. The chapter underscores his isolation and the impossibility of his position: to engage with the Land risks madness, but refusal condemns him to the same fate. The Plains of Ra serve as a backdrop for this existential crisis, with Covenant’s internal conflict mirroring the external devastation around him. The chapter closes with his unresolved tension, poised on the brink of a decision he cannot yet make.
FAQs
1. How does Covenant’s physical and emotional state reflect his internal conflict in this chapter?
Answer:
Covenant’s physical state mirrors his psychological turmoil—his robe is stiff with blood, symbolizing his self-perception as an outcast leper, while his exhaustion and disgust at not contributing to the burial efforts underscore his guilt. Emotionally, he grapples with an “impossible dilemma”: participating in the Land’s struggles risks madness (accepting its reality), while refusal also leads to madness (denial). His repetitive, unconscious VSE ritual in sleep reveals his clinging to leprosy as his only anchor to reality. The chapter emphasizes his crisis of identity and purpose, torn between two forms of self-destruction (Prothall’s observation of his “inner torn and trampled ground”).2. Analyze Foamfollower’s sacrifice of the hurtloam and its significance in the chapter.
Answer:
Foamfollower’s decision to give the last hurtloam to a dying Cavewight instead of treating his own severe forehead wound or Pietten’s trauma highlights his compassion and moral complexity. This act symbolizes the novel’s themes of unintended consequences and sacrifice—the Giant prioritizes alleviating immediate suffering (the Cavewight’s agony) over practical needs, even as he acknowledges Pietten’s innocence. His choice also reflects Lord Foul’s cruel “method”: characters are forced into impossible decisions that perpetuate harm (e.g., Pietten’s corruption). The blood dripping from Foamfollower’s wound becomes a visceral metaphor for the cost of empathy in a world designed to exploit it.3. How does the chapter portray the aftermath of battle, and what thematic purpose does this serve?
Answer:
The battle’s aftermath is depicted with visceral horror—trenches filled with “charred agony,” smoke clinging to dawn “like an uncomfortable tomb,” and warriors sprawled in exhaustion. This imagery underscores the cost of conflict and the fragility of hope in the Land. Birinair’s saplings planted over graves symbolize fleeting attempts at renewal, but the scorched earth (notably the grass damaged differently by Lords-fire versus ur-vile magic) reflects irreversible damage. The scene reinforces the novel’s central tension: efforts to preserve the Land may hasten its destruction, as seen in Llaura and Pietten’s fates, mirroring Covenant’s fear that his actions will fulfill Foul’s prophecies.4. What does Covenant’s interaction with Mhoram reveal about his resistance to connection in the Land?
Answer:
When Mhoram addresses Covenant as “my friend,” Covenant flinches, fearing emotional bonds will compromise his detachment. His refusal to ask about Tamarantha’s staff (despite curiosity) shows his avoidance of explanations that might validate the Land’s reality. By abruptly turning to Foamfollower, Covenant deflects vulnerability, reinforcing his self-imposed isolation. Mhoram’s appearance—aged yet kind—contrasts with Covenant’s rigidity, highlighting their divergent responses to trauma: Mhoram finds strength in community, while Covenant views connection as a threat to his tenuous grip on identity (“he could not afford to be anyone’s friend”).5. Interpret Foamfollower’s statement: “Seeing the future is not prophecy.” How does this relate to Covenant’s dilemma?
Answer:
Foamfollower distinguishes between passive foresight (merely “seeing” outcomes) and active prophecy (which may shape events). This challenges Covenant’s deterministic view that Foul’s “prophecies” are inevitable. Covenant believes his actions will self-fulfill Foul’s design (e.g., Pietten as a “present” showing their future failures), but Foamfollower hints that agency exists—the future isn’t fixed. This tension mirrors Covenant’s struggle: if he accepts the Land as real, his choices matter; if it’s illusion, his paralysis is justified. The Giant’s remark subtly urges Covenant to reconsider his binary thinking and embrace responsibility beyond fatalism.
Quotes
1. “Participate, and go mad. Or refuse to participate, and go mad. He had to make a decision, -find bedrock somewhere and cling to it. He could not accept the Land- and could not deny it.”
This quote captures Covenant’s central existential dilemma—his paralyzing conflict between engagement and rejection in the Land. It represents the chapter’s core theme of impossible choices and foreshadows his later actions.
2. “We’re all going to destroy- whatever we want to preserve. The essence of Foul’s method. Pietten is a present to us- an example of what we’re going to do to the Land when we try to save it.”
This exchange with Foamfollower reveals the cruel irony of Lord Foul’s strategy—that attempts at salvation may cause destruction. The quote powerfully conveys the novel’s exploration of unintended consequences and moral paradoxes.
3. “It is said that the Giants are made of granite… Do not be concerned for me.”
Foamfollower’s stoic response to his suffering demonstrates both Giantish resilience and the chapter’s theme of endurance amidst trauma. The imagery contrasts physical toughness with emotional vulnerability.
4. “A spate of disgust crossed Covenant’s face- disgust that he had not done his share of the work. He looked at his robe; the samite was stiff and black with encrusted blood. Fit apparel for a leper, he thought, an outcast.”
This moment reveals Covenant’s self-loathing and alienation, key to understanding his character. The bloodstained robe becomes a powerful symbol of his dual identity as both savior and pariah in the Land.