The Assassin and the Desert
Chapter Eight
by Maas, Sarah J.In Chapter Eight, Celaena Sardothien engages in a lighthearted moment with her friend Ansel, applying makeup for Ansel’s birthday and Midsummer Eve celebration. Their banter reveals Celaena’s fondness for cosmetics, which she considers both practical for her work as an assassin and enjoyable. The playful exchange underscores their growing friendship, a rarity for Celaena, who reflects on her impending departure from the desert fortress and her reluctance to leave Ansel behind. The chapter highlights Celaena’s internal conflict as she grapples with her attachment to Ansel and her unresolved feelings about returning to Rifthold.
The Midsummer Eve festival unfolds in an unusual silence, with assassins dancing without music under the moonlight. Celaena observes the festivities with a mix of curiosity and detachment, noting the contrast between the Master’s joyful, grandfatherly demeanor and Arobynn’s calculated grace. Ansel’s carefree dancing with Mikhail contrasts with Celaena’s introspection, as she reflects on her strained relationship with Arobynn and her concern for Sam, whom she fears may have suffered worse punishment than she did. The festival serves as a backdrop for Celaena’s simmering anger toward Arobynn and her resolve to assert independence.
Celaena’s thoughts drift to her plans to move out of the Assassin’s Keep, a decision fueled by her growing disillusionment with Arobynn’s cruelty. She vows to protect herself and Sam from further harm, even contemplating violent retribution if necessary. Her internal monologue reveals a shift in her loyalty and a desire for autonomy, underscored by her admiration for the Master’s kindness. The chapter captures Celaena’s emotional turmoil as she balances her past traumas with her newfound sense of agency.
The chapter concludes with Ilias inviting Celaena to dance, breaking her reverie. Despite her initial hesitation, she accepts, allowing herself a rare moment of levity. Their silent dance symbolizes Celaena’s tentative steps toward embracing joy and connection, even as she remains aware of the challenges awaiting her return to Rifthold. The scene encapsulates the chapter’s themes of friendship, resilience, and the tension between duty and personal freedom.
FAQs
1. How does the interaction between Celaena and Ansel during the makeup scene reveal their friendship dynamics?
Answer:
The makeup scene showcases a playful yet intimate bond between Celaena and Ansel. Celaena’s expertise and enjoyment of cosmetics contrast with Ansel’s initial skepticism (“Smearing all this gunk on your face is fun?”), highlighting their differing personalities. However, their banter—such as Celaena threatening to draw a mustache on Ansel and their mutual pinching—reflects a comfortable, sister-like rapport. Celaena’s internal monologue about never having a female friend before underscores the significance of this relationship. The moment also reveals vulnerability when Celaena admits Ansel looks better than her, breaking her usual confident facade. This interaction emphasizes trust and lightheartedness, which are rare for Celaena given her isolated past.
2. Analyze the significance of the silent Midsummer Eve festival in contrast to Celaena’s expectations. What might this reveal about the assassins’ culture?
Answer:
The silent festival subverts Celaena’s anticipation of a boisterous celebration (“music and drinking and laughter”), instead emphasizing the assassins’ unique traditions. The absence of music, paired with synchronized dancing, suggests a disciplined, almost ritualistic communal experience—a stark contrast to the calculated revelry Celaena associates with Arobynn’s world. The Master’s participation as a “benevolent, clumsy grandfather” further humanizes the assassins, diverging from the ruthless image they might project. This silence could symbolize unity or introspection, reflecting a culture that values unspoken understanding over outward expression. For Celaena, it’s a poignant reminder of the warmth and simplicity she’s missed in Rifthold’s cutthroat environment.
3. How does Celaena’s reflection on Sam and Arobynn during the festival illustrate her internal conflict?
Answer:
Celaena’s wine-fueled musings reveal unresolved guilt and rage. Her worry about Sam’s fate (“What had Arobynn done to him that night?”) contrasts with her avoidance of confronting it, suggesting self-reproach for prioritizing her anger over his well-being. Her decision to buy a hidden apartment signifies growing autonomy but also fear—she’s preparing to defy Arobynn yet hesitates to fully acknowledge the abuse she and Sam endured. The violent imagery of severing Arobynn’s arm underscores her pent-up fury, but her reluctance to seek Sam out hints at emotional avoidance. This conflict between vengeance and vulnerability marks a pivotal tension in her character arc.
4. Compare the depictions of Mikhail’s affection for Ansel and Ilias’s invitation to dance. How do these romantic undertones differ from Celaena’s past experiences?
Answer:
Mikhail’s overt admiration for Ansel (“always looked at her as if she were the only person in the room”) and Ilias’s gentle persistence (“his hand remained extended”) portray healthy, respectful attraction—unlike Arobynn’s manipulative control or Sam’s combative flirtations. Mikhail’s tactile joy (dipping Ansel) and Ilias’s patient encouragement (“shrugged as if to suggest his toes weren’t all that valuable”) contrast with the toxicity Celaena associates with romance. Her hesitation to dance with Ilias, followed by her wry acceptance, mirrors her cautious hope for connection. These interactions offer her glimpses of affection devoid of power struggles, reshaping her understanding of relationships.
5. Why might the author have chosen to end the chapter mid-sentence during Celaena’s dance with Ilias? What effect does this create?
Answer:
The abrupt cutoff (“It was hard to look away—not just from his face,”) creates narrative suspense, mirroring Celaena’s emotional suspension between her past and potential future. The unfinished thought invites readers to project their own interpretations—is she captivated by Ilias’s charm, or is this moment a metaphor for her unresolved journey? Structurally, it emphasizes the chapter’s theme of fleeting time (“the single remaining week loomed”) and mirrors the dance’s unresolved rhythm. This technique also primes curiosity for the next chapter, leaving Celaena’s feelings—and the consequences of this dance—deliberately ambiguous.
Quotes
1. “‘Because you look better than I do.’”
This playful exchange between Celaena and Ansel during their makeup session reveals their growing friendship and Celaena’s rare vulnerability. It contrasts with her usual confidence and hints at her emotional attachment to Ansel.
2. “‘She’d never had a female friend—never really had any friends—and somehow, the thought of returning to Rifthold without Ansel was a tad unbearable.’”
This introspective moment captures Celaena’s character growth, showing her capacity for friendship and emotional connection—a stark contrast to her isolated assassin persona. It marks a turning point in her personal development.
3. “‘If Arobynn ever laid a hand on her or Sam again, she’d see to it that he lost that hand. Actually, she’d see to it that he lost everything up to the elbow.’”
This violent thought demonstrates Celaena’s protective instincts and growing defiance against her abusive mentor. It foreshadows potential future conflict while revealing her complex relationships with both Arobynn and Sam.
4. “‘Live a little, Sardothien!’ Ansel had said that day they stole the horses. Why not live a little tonight, too?”
This moment captures Celaena’s decision to embrace joy and connection, symbolized by her acceptance of Ilias’s dance invitation. It represents her temporary escape from her assassin identity and the weight of her past.
5. “‘The Midsummer Eve festival was like nothing Celaena had ever experienced… everyone was smiling, but aside from the rustle of clothing and the scrape of merry feet against the stones, there was no sound.’”
This description of the silent dance highlights the unique culture of the assassins’ fortress and serves as a powerful metaphor for Celaena’s own silent transformation during her time there.