From Blood and Ash

As the Maiden, Penellaphe is forced to wear a veil for most of her waking hours. How does this veil both figuratively and literally interfere with her coming-of-age journey? Consider these points as you formulate a response.

• What cultural associations might some readers make regarding veils?
• What evidence in the story shows the reader how to interpret the symbolic meaning of the veil in Penellaphe’s society?
• What feelings does Penellaphe have about wearing or not wearing the veil?
• How does the veil separate Penellaphe from herself, from other people, and from knowledge about the world?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt asks students to apply their understanding of the coming-of-age story to a specific element of From Blood and Ash’s depiction of Penellaphe and her society. The question can be used as a springboard into discussion of the themes of Self-Exploration and Character Growth and Religion as a Means for Control. The first three bulleted questions lead students from the general to the specific as they investigate the meaning of the veil itself; the final bulleted question asks students to apply the veil’s meaning to different aspects of Penellaphe’s search for identity and coming-of-age. After students have responded to this prompt, they might extend the conversation by discussing how Penellaphe’s veil relates to the text’s symbolic use of masks and disguises more generally.