Towards Light: A Reading of Leigh Bardugo’s

The Grisha Trilogy

A Thesis

Submitted by
VIMEEPHA L.P
REG. NO. 61012094

in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of

MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY
IN ENGLISH

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
NANJIL CATHOLIC COLLEGE OF ARTS AND
SCIENCE
KALIYAKKAVILAI– 629 153

APRIL 2017
 NANJIL CATHOLIC COLLEGE OF ARTS AND
SCIENCE
KALIYAKKAVILAI– 629153

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this thesis titled Towards Light: A Reading in Leigh

Bardugo’s The Grisha Trilogy is the bona fide work of Vimeepha L.P (Reg.

No.: 61012094) who carried out the work under my supervision. Certified

further that to the best of my knowledge the work reported here in does not

form part of any other thesis or dissertation on the basis of which a degree or

award was conferred on an earlier occasion on this or any other candidate.

Mrs. Sushma Jenifer., M.A., M.Phil., Ms. Irish Kezia., MA., M.Phil.,
Associate Professor and Head Assistant Professor
Department of English Department of English
Nanjil Catholic college of Arts and Science, Nanjil Catholic college of Arts and Science,
Kaliyakkavilai-629153 Kaliayakkavilai-629153
 Abstract
Leigh Bardugo is one of the most prominent figures in American Young Adult

Literature. Her novels mostly deal with the current social and political issues like

oppression, conflicts, retaliation and war. The Grisha Trilogy is one of the famous

novels, which deal with the problems of the society.

The present study “Towards Light: A Reading of Leigh Bardugo’s The Grisha

Trilogy” focuses on the process of humans’ journey from the unsettled psyche to the

evolutionary self. The possessions of unsettled psyche such as greed, greed for power,

desire, conflicts and war are analyzed in this paper. Moreover, it analyses the internal

and external conflicts as new wars. It chiefly discusses on the struggle between

darkness and light.

The study also focuses on the difficulties of mental survival creates through

the greed for power. The concept of survival in the novel is explained in different

forms. The Capital survives through exploiting the district people. Therefore, the

people suffers a lot to survive as well as they play with own their life to get existence.

Revolution of the peasants drives the destruction of the Capital.

Alina, the protagonist realizes the cruelty of the power. At the beginning she

remains silent to the system of the Capital called Darkling. She pawns her own life to

the Capital, but with the help of her strength, she gets her life back from the Capital.

From the moment, she recognize the value of her inner power, light is more powerful

than the darker side of Darkling, she starts fighting against the power of the Capital.

With the help of her internal power, finally she defeats the power of the Capital. Thus,

Alina’s power of light illumines the dark side of Darkling, which he fails to recognize.

Alina’s evolution of self leads to the evolution of the nation.

 Acknowledgement
I thank God, the Almighty from the depth of my heart for giving me health,
knowledge and ability to carry out my research work successfully.

It is my duty to thank, Rev. Fr. Dr. S. Maria Rajendran MSW., M.Phil.,

Ph.D, the secretary, Nanjil Catholic College of Arts and Science, Kaliyakkavilai, and
Dr. E. John Jothi Prakash, M.Sc., M.Phil., Ph.D, Principal, Nanjil Catholic College
of Arts and Science, Kaliyakkavilai, for their kind support during my course of study.

I greatly extend my sincere thanks to Mrs. S. Sushma Jenifer., M.A.,

M.Phil., (Ph.D), Head of the Department who deserves special note of thanks for all
the moral support and guidance that she has offered in all possible ways to complete
this dissertation on time.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. M. Sebastin, MA., M.Phil., professor,

Department of English, Nanjil Catholic College of Arts and Science, Kaliyakkavilai
for his scholarly guidance for completing my dissertation on time.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my guide and supervisor Ms. Irish Kezia., MA.,
M.Phil., Assistant professor Department of English, Nanjil Catholic College of Arts
and Science, Kaliyakkavilai, for guided me in my research work with far reaching
discussion, sincere evaluation, generous and incisive comments. I remember with
gratitude the hours she spent to bring it to its present form.

I like to express my heartful thanks to my parents and professors who have

stood by my side at every point of my life. Their role towards completing the
dissertation has been enormous and encouraging.

I place on record, my sincere thanks to the entire staff member for their
valuable guidance and encouragement extended to me.

I express my thanks to the Librarians of Manonmaniam Sundaranar

University, Tirunelveli and Nanjil Catholic College of Arts and Science,
Kaliyakavilai, for providing me the books and secondary sources necessary for the
preparation of my dissertation.

Vimeepha L.P
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

One Introduction 1

Two Unsettled Psyche 25

Three Darkness vs Light 42

Four Evolution of Self 61

Five Summation 73

Works Cited 79
 Abbreviations

YA Young Adult

YAL Young Adult Literature

YAL Young Adult Literature

YALSA Young Adult Library Service Association

TV Television

CILIP Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals