History of the Clans - Summary Essay

 I remember the first time reading this. Not where I was, but I remember how it made me feel quite vividly.

You might think a short piece like this couldn’t have much of an impact, but I felt enthralled. It read like an introduction to the series, but on larger proportions than anything I had seen so far. It’s over in a flash, and it feels as though it would be more dramatic if some of the scenes were fleshed out more. However, with a vivid imagination, it packs the emotional punch an origin story like this (born out of so much bloodshed) should.

Now, reading it critically and thinking about its themes and such, I finally understand why it felt like it had such a big impact on me. 

What did you think?

The main theme in the short story History of the Clans is unity. The spirits repeat the phrase “unite or die” pg.4, making it hard to ignore. Unity has many benefits. Working towards a common goal with others makes it easier to achieve. Having others to rely on helps to prevent unnecessary death. This is what the cats hope to achieve by uniting as the four Clans. Unity also gives a sense of purpose, “You will be warriors!…you will live by the warrior code, and if you must fight, it will be…for honour and justice.” pg.5. Unity fosters peace “I believe we can [live] in peace.” pg.5.

There are four main characters in the story. These are Shadow, Thunder, Wind, and River. They act as an antagonist to the protagonist character group, the spirit cats. They take part in the ‘terrible battle’ pg.3, and later, they fight over who should rule the forest. As the first leaders, they also would start the first battles between the Clans ‘There was not always peace between the clans…cats are born with teeth and claws for a reason.’ pg.6. These are all the main characters in the History Of The Clans.

The main situations in the short story follow: cats are drawn into the forest by prey. They fight and kill one another. During a full moon, after a deadly battle, the dead come back as spirits and tell the cats to unite. Thunder, Shadow, River, and Wind step forward. The spirits tell them to set down borders and live by the warrior code, promising eight more lives to the new leaders. The four leaders form Clans by finding cats that share their abilities. There was not always peace but the Clans were protected by the warrior code. The age of the warrior Clans begins.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and sticking through my break with me. I really appreciate that people like reading these enough to spend a bit of time looking at these blog posts. Thank you again.

Teen Fantasy Author