67 pages 2 hours read

Cassandra Clare

Chain of Gold

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2020

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Themes

Storytelling and Reality

Characters in Chain of Gold frequently reference stories and books; most commonly the literary staples a well-read person in Edwardian London would know, such as Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Oscar Wilde. Whether fairy tales or romances or literary novels, stories are integral to the Shadowhunter reality. For Cordelia, whose mother is Persian, these stories include the legend of Layla and Majnun and the poems of 12th-century writer Nizami Ganjavi. Stories allow Shadowhunters to experience and even create reality. In the positive sense, creating a new reality means challenging stereotypes and presumptions, such as when Lucie reinvents Snow White in her own image, or when Cordelia uses the Persian tale of Dawud to assert her own identity. However, the more ambiguous aspect of storytelling lies in stories’ deviation from the emotional truth. The distinction between emotional and factual truth is important, as Cordelia asserts that fiction can be true in “soul” if not in fact; such stories can be realer than real.

Even fantastical stories are authentic if they are honest. Conversely, stories that are absolutely factual can be dishonest if their depiction is one-sided. On one level, Lucie, the young writer, is Clare’s gentle sendup of the persona of a writer.

Related Titles

By Cassandra Clare

Study Guide

logo

City of Ashes

Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes

Cassandra Clare

Study Guide

logo

City of Bones

Cassandra Clare

City of Bones

Cassandra Clare

Plot Summary

logo

City of Fallen Angels

Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels

Cassandra Clare

Study Guide

logo

City of Glass

Cassandra Clare

City of Glass

Cassandra Clare

Plot Summary

logo

City of Heavenly Fire

Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire

Cassandra Clare

Plot Summary

logo

City of Lost Souls

Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls

Cassandra Clare

Study Guide

logo

Clockwork Angel

Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Angel

Cassandra Clare

Plot Summary

logo

Lady Midnight

Cassandra Clare

Lady Midnight

Cassandra Clare

Study Guide

logo

The Iron Trial

Holly Black, Cassandra Clare

The Iron Trial

Holly Black, Cassandra Clare