1. Xan has made it impossible for Luna to remember, recognize or learn anything remotely related to the word magic. Explain what her purpose was and the resulting unintended consequences (side-effects). In addition, explain whether you think it would have been better if she simply tried to discipline or control Luna’s magic or whether you think Xan’s spell was probably the only way under the circumstances. Do you think Xan was justified in making Luna forget any trace of magic?
Xan put a spell on Luna to make it impossible for her to understand magic. It was to protect Luna from danger. But I believe that Xan’s choice was wrong for several reasons, and that she should have tried to discipline and control Luna’s magic.
Xan’s original purpose of this spell was to keep Luna safe. Luna drank the moon, and became enmagicked. Enmagicked children can be hazardous because they can’t control their magic. Their magic can harm themselves and others, too. To contain all this magic inside Luna and keep her safe, Xan decided to put a spell on her and let all the magic out when Luna turns 13. Sadly, Zan will die when this moment comes.
There are many consequences for the spell. One of the major consequences is that Luna will never be able to learn about magic. When she turns 13, she will not be able to control herself and nobody will help her since Xan will die. This shows how there is no point in protecting her because Luna will do dangerous things eventually. Many people could get hurt because she didn’t learn how to use her magic, even if she didn’t intend to. Xan should have thought of these consequences first before putting the spell on Luna.
I think it would have been best to just help Luna control her magic. As the story shows, there are many consequences in blocking her from knowing magic. She wouldn't be able to learn magic, which could be harmful to others. Even though Luna may be young, her grandmother is very knowledgeable in the field of magic and it would have been better if Xan supported and taught Luna magic.
I don’t think Xan making Luna forget any trace of magic is justified because she must have thought of Luna not learning magic. Xan took many days to figure out this solution, and how could she not predict this? Even I would have thought of that. She should at least have thought about the consequences before proceeding with her plan.
Overall, I think Xan made the wrong decision putting a spell on Luna. There are many consequences, her actions don't fit the purpose, other solutions could have worked better, and Xan could have predicted the consequences. These show how it is obvious that Xan should have tried to discipline and control Luna’s magic instead of making it impossible for her to learn or understand anything about magic.
2. We eventually learn that Sister Ignatia had immense sorrow which had consumed her. She had chosen to encase her sorrow within a pearl deep inside her heart. What was the inherent problem or limitation of Sister Ignatia’s way of dealing with her sorrow? Moreover, how can we confront our sorrow and sadness differently from Sister Ignatia? What can we do to avoid the fate of Sister Ignatia if we are hit with great grief and sorrow in the future? Make sure to analyze the problem with Sister Ignatia’s way of dealing with her own sorrow and explain what she could have done differently.
Sister Ignatia, the Sorrow Eater, had to eat sorrow to survive. She created the Day of Sacrifice, which requires families to give their babies to the witch. This makes a lot of sorrow for Sister Ignatia to eat. During the story, she seems to be a very evil character, but she has a reason for doing this. She had a lot of sorrow inside her, so she decided that she would encase all her grief and emotions into a pearl inside her heart instead of dealing with the pain. I believe that Sister Ignatia’s way of dealing with her sorrow isn’t the best way and that there could be many other ways.
Firstly, she doesn’t have to be so evil. I don’t think the only way to collect sorrow is through taking loved ones away on purpose. I feel that taking a family member away is too cruel. People feel sad for different reasons. For example, people feel sad when they lose an object they like or get hurt. She can find a person like that and feed on their sorrow, not making sorrow on purpose.
Secondly, she can face the pain and figure out a solution. When I feel sorrow, I tell my friends or family. They help me deal with it. I also sometimes just cry until I feel good. If Sister Ignatia just dealt with the sorrow using these ways instead of simply locking it in in the first place, a lot of the Protectorate’s people would live happily without sorrow since Sister Ignatia doesn’t need to eat sorrow, which means there is no Day of Sacrifice that brings grief.
Thirdly, there are so many consequences to her decision. Before she felt the immense sorrow, she must have had a good personality and mind. It is her sorrow that changed her. I am guessing that she didn’t want to be an evil person, either. However, it is her fault. When she put her sorrow into the pearl, she should have thought of what could happen. When a person is doing something, they should always think about the consequences when things might not work well. If she plainly thought first, none of these unfortunate separations would occur and she can even think of a better way.
In conclusion, there are many negative effects of Sister Ignatia’s actions, she doesn’t have to be so evil, and she can simply face the pain when she is feeling sorrow. We shouldn’t put our sorrow deep inside our hearts when we are feeling sorrow. Instead, we should find a solution and wait until we feel better. Otherwise, we might end up like Sister Ignatia, the Sorrow Eater!
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