Varjak Paw

“Creeaak The front door swung open. A blast of wind swirled in, sweeping all the dust into the air. Varjak’s fur stood on end. click CLACK Two shiny black shoes. Each big as a cat. Coming through the door. Heart racing, Varjak bent back his head, to follow the line above the shoes. Up a pair of legs, up some more, he saw huge white hands, huge enough to hold his whole body, strong enough to break his neck.”

Visceral details like “Varjak’s fur stood on end” and “[h]eart racing” convey the protagonist’s shock and fear when he sees the Gentleman for the first time. Said uses spelling and capitalization to further emphasize the onomatopoeia “Creeaak” and “click CLACK.” These sound effects contribute to the scene’s eerie mood. The simile that describes the man’s shoe as “big as a cat” and the observation that his hands are “strong enough to break [Varjak’s] neck” convey the mysterious newcomer’s formidable size and the threat he poses to the protagonist. The author increases the sense of danger and foreboding, by using fragments to break this pivotal scene into distinct impressions, such as “Two shiny black shoes. Each big as a cat. Coming through the door.”

“Father began to circle the Elder Paw, wordless and menacing. He bared his teeth. He looked twice as big, twice as fierce as normal. His shadow danced across the Elder Paw’s body in the firelight. He hissed, and strode forwards. The Elder Paw backed away. Suddenly he looked tired and old, very old, like the threadbare rug on which he stood.”

The repetition of “twice” emphasizes Father’s threatening behavior, and the onomatopoeia “hissed” adds to the menacing mood. The simile comparing the Elder Paw to “the threadbare rug” emphasizes the cat’s advanced age, which is the reason why Father is able to usurp his place as leader of the family. By mentioning the faded rug in the context of Father’s wrongful seizure of power, Said illustrates how the Paw family has declined alongside their home.

“The black cats had caught the Elder Paw. They had him backed against the house. They came at him from both sides. He slashed out, but together they swarmed on top of him, and forced him to the ground. There was a terrible howl. The black cats came away, shaking their heads. And the Elder Paw—The Elder Paw looked limp, like a broken toy.”

Short, quick sentences add to the fast pace and tension in the fight scene. The dash in the final sentence adds suspense by delaying the revelation that the Elder Paw has fallen. The simile comparing the Elder Paw to “a broken toy” implies that he’s dead but leaves enough ambiguity to explain why Varjak feels conflicted about leaving him.

“Varjak exploded into motion. Back legs uncoiled. Front paws reached out for a grip. Found it. Back legs pushed, pumped, powered up, up, and like the wind, Varjak Paw flew up the face of the wall, up, through the trees, higher than the curtains, higher than the house, up, beginning to tire, muscles aching, vision blurring—how much further?—up, grip after grip, paw over paw, slipping…”

Said uses punctuation and a range of literary devices to capture the decisive moment when Varjak scales the garden wall separating the only home he’s ever known from the outside world. The lack of articles in sentences like “Back legs uncoiled” emphasizes Varjak’s physical exertion during his ascent while the alliteration in “pushed, pumped, powered up” conveys the smoothness of the cat’s movements. The simile that likens Varjak to “the wind” shows his speed and grace, indicating that he’s reclaiming his heritage as the descendant of the legendary adventurer Jalal. The interjection of the question “— how much further? —” and the ellipsis at the end of the excerpt depict Varjak’s increasing weariness from the strain of climbing the high wall, which enhances the passage’s suspense.

“He dreamed he was walking by a river in the heat of the night. Zigzag trees swayed in the warm breeze. The air smelled like cinnamon, and tasted of ripe dates. He looked up. The stars were different. They sparkled big and bright in a brilliant sky.”

Rich, detailed imagery immerses the reader in Varjak’s dream and offers clues that he’s in Mesopotamia, Jalal’s country of origin. Said appeals to the reader’s sense of touch with the “warm breeze,” smell with the scent of cinnamon, taste with the “ripe dates,” and sight with the “big and bright” stars. A variation of this passage appears at the start of each chapter set in the protagonist’s mystical dreams—a pattern that helps to convey the comfort the dreams bring Varjak.

“It was a column of fearsome monsters. They were rolling down the road, roaring at each other and everything around them. Huge monsters made of metal with sharp edges all around. They had yellow eyes at the front and red eyes at the back. They moved on round black wheels which turned so fast it made Varjak dizzy, and they belched a trail of choking smoke behind them on the wind. Could these be dogs?”

The author creates a tense mood through precise adjectives like “fearsome” and “roaring” and the repetition of the word “monsters.” This passage provides an example of defamiliarization, a literary technique that presents something ordinary in an uncommon way. Said shows his readers that the monsters are really cars through clues like the headlights and taillights that are described as “yellow eyes” and “red eyes.” Through the technique of defamiliarization, the author demonstrates how Varjak’s lack of knowledge of the outside world intensifies his fear and complicates his quest.

“‘Awareness,’ he said. ‘The Second Skill. If you are to survive in the world, you must be aware of everything in it. Whether you need to find food, fight an enemy, or even talk to a dog—before you do anything, you must know what you are dealing with. Assume nothing; be sure of the facts. Open your senses. Spread them wide, like a net. Observe the world: what it looks like, what it sounds like. Even what it tastes like.’”

Jalal uses the simile of “a net” to explain how Varjak must cast forth his senses to unlock the skill of Awareness, making the abstract concept more concrete for the audience. Jalal’s lesson about Awareness gives new significance to the novel’s abundant imagery by revealing that each sensory impression yields information that could help the cats move closer to their goals.

“BRAAAAAP!

fur

fluttered

fur

flattened.

Monsters roared over his head —

— to his left —

— to his right —

— to his left —

— and were gone.”

Said adds interest to the scene by arranging the words on the page like a poem. The combination of onomatopoeia, capitalization, italics, and punctuation in “BRAAAAAP!” emphasizes the fearsome sound the cars make as they race over Varjak. The alliteration in “fur / fluttered / fur/ flattened” adds to the passage’s poetic quality. The dashes in the final lines underline how quickly the scene unfolds, adding to the sense of danger and excitement.

“CRACK! His paws shot out, slapped the mouse’s head, hard. Stunned it. Held it down. Jaws closed around its neck. Teeth sank in: the lethal bite. Varjak gasped. He had killed for real. And it was like killing a part of himself. I’m sorry, he thought, beginning to shake. I’m sorry. But I have to eat.”

The onomatopoeia “CRACK!” accentuates the action when Varjak strikes. By employing fragments instead of complete sentences, Said breaks Varjak’s first kill into distinct moments and sensations. The repetition of “I’m sorry” uses third-person limited narration to allow the reader to see Varjak’s thoughts and understand that his accomplishment is tempered by remorse and an understanding of the value of life. This complex combination of emotions reveals that the protagonist is learning wisdom, not just survival skills, from his ancestor.

“He crept towards the pigeon, stealthy as Jalal himself. In the whole world, there was nothing but him and his prey. Varjak sprang—and a hundred wings came at him; a hundred claws curved out; a hundred beaks cawed in chaos. Panic! Varjak fled from the flock.”

The double dashes draw out the tension and mark where the mood shifts from calm and controlled to frenzied. Making “Panic!” its own sentence emphasizes Varjak’s emotional state. The repetition of “a hundred” followed by the birds’ different fearsome features explains why he instinctively flees from the pigeons.

“Would it work in the real world? He breathed in—two—three—four. Out—two—three—four. And the wings…slowed…down. Varjak could see each beat, each claw, as if in slow motion. He dived after Holly into the mass of birds, moving smoothly through the chaos, making them fly apart for just a moment.”

The author uses ellipses to slow down the sentence just like the skill of Slow-Time makes the world around Varjak seem slower. The description of Varjak “moving smoothly through the chaos” shows the almost magical control and grace the skill grants him, lending a touch of fantasy to the story.

“All cats are graceful, but Jalal was a river of energy, like the Tigris, flowing and changing itself at will. ‘Your body,’ said Jalal, ‘is but a part of you. You are more than your body. You can make it do anything, if you know how. You can dodge any blow, you can strike any enemy, you can win any fight.’”

The metaphor comparing Jalal to “a river of energy” underlines his grace and the power of Slow-Time. The repetition of the word “any” emphasizes the limitless possibilities offered by mastery of Moving Circles. Both skills are part of the Way of Jalal, which serves as a motif of Courage in the Face of Challenges. Jalal’s words illustrate how the Way empowers the protagonist to face any challenge.

“At the top of the alley, blocking the way out, was a new kind of monster. It was black and bristly, almost as big as a man. Its mouth was full of pointed yellow teeth which dripped with drool. It barked loudly, and took a step towards the cats.”

Said uses defamiliarization in this passage because Varjak doesn’t realize that he’s looking at a dog. The author creates a fearful mood through word choices like “a new kind of monster” and “blocking the way out.” Imagery, such as the dog’s “black and bristly” fur, helps the reader envision the scene and understand the cats’ terror.

“Rain began to fall. It came in stinging whips which lashed into Varjak’s nose, his eyes, his ears. He tried to snatch a breath; water filled his mouth, surged down his throat. He choked on it, but kept going, up the hill, one step, two steps, a hundred, a thousand: whatever it took. The moon stared down at them, a sullen one-eyed sentry in the sky. Give up, it seemed to say. Give up and go away.”

Said uses personification, a type of figurative language that gives human characteristics to non-human subjects, by presenting the moon as a “sullen one-eyed sentry” and endowing it with speech. The personification and the metaphor comparing the rain to “stinging whips” underline Varjak’s resilience and determination against the odds, showing that he’s gained courage over the course of his adventures.

“A little stone wall stood before them, half the height of any in the city. It looked old and crumbling, as if it had been neglected for a very long time. […] Could this really be the same wall which enclosed the world he grew up in? The wall that once seemed so high and impossible to climb? Was this the place he had left? Or had everything changed while he was away?”

The descriptions of the “little stone wall” as “neglected” and “old and crumbling” provide visual imagery. Varjak’s surprise at realizing that the obstacle that “once seemed so high” is only “half the height of any in the city” highlights how his experiences in London have increased his confidence and expanded his understanding of the world.

“‘Welcome home, Varjak!’ Home. Finally, he was home. He looked round the family circle. They were purring and beaming at him—Mother, Father and Aunt Juni; Julius and Jasmine; Jay, Jethro and Jerome. They all seemed so glad to see him. It was good to be back.”

The repetition of ‘home’ underlines Varjak’s relief at being back among his relatives and their joy at seeing him. Said creates a jovial mood during the reunion through words like “purring and beaming.” From the start of the novel, Varjak has longed for the sense of belonging he enjoys in this scene, but he eventually realizes that his friends’ safety and doing the right thing matter more to him than his family’s affirmation, demonstrating his personal growth and underscoring The Power of Friendship and Loyalty as a central theme in the story.

“‘He’s not one of us,’ growled Julius. ‘Eyes the colour of danger. Isn’t that right, insect?’ Something rose in Varjak’s heart. His mind was catching fire. All those times Julius had made fun of him, made him miserable, made him feel small and weak.”

The adjectives “small and weak” echo Julius’s “insect” insult, and the repetition of phrases starting with “made him” emphasizes the damaging effects his brother’s bullying has on Varjak. The metaphorical language of Varjak’s mind “catching fire” illustrates the changes taking place within the protagonist as he prepares to stand up to his brother.

“Varjak looked at Holly. He looked at his family. There was a twisting, tearing feeling in his guts. He looked at Holly. The family. And Holly again. His insides were being ripped in half. It was impossible.”

The synonyms “tearing” and “ripped” convey Varjak’s inner conflict as he grapples with the “impossible” choice between his relatives and his best friend. The fragments reflect how the protagonist feels broken apart because of his divided loyalties. This scene marks an critical turning point for the novel’s thematic engagement with the power of friendship and loyalty because Varjak realizes he must make amends for his moment of indecision and disloyalty to Holly.

“The Gentleman’s cats were ready for her. In a blur of blackness, moving as one, they blocked her and flung her to the floor. Varjak’s Awareness spun into action, taking in their smooth, sleek power, their deadly speed. He’d seen everything in the city, even the fearsome Sally Bones, but these black cats were still something else. The way they moved together so perfectly, their identical eyes…they were more like machines than anything alive.”

Alliterative phrases like “blur of blackness” and “flung her to the floor” give the second sentence a smooth flow that emphasizes the black cats’ sleekness and speed. Precise diction like “deadly” and “fearsome” raise the suspense. Adding to the scene’s ominous mood, the observation that the black cats are “more like machines than anything else” foreshadows the revelation that the Gentleman turns the black cats and many of the Vanished street cats into mechanical versions of themselves.

“‘That’s my son,’ said Father. ‘I knew you’d do the right thing,’ said Mother. ‘What an ugly little cat she was,’ said Cousin Jasmine. Her voice sounded like milk. Sour milk.”

The simile comparing Jasmine’s voice to “[s]our milk” illustrates how the satisfaction Varjak expected to feel at his family’s praise and acceptance has soured because embracing them means turning his back on Holly. As the protagonist reconsiders his values and priorities, he realizes that his family’s approval isn’t worth sacrificing his values or his friends.

“Varjak peered at the still surface of the Tigris. He saw the stars shimmering deep inside. Saw the moon rising in the east. And saw two silver-blue cats with amber eyes, calmly looking back at him.”

The author’s use of visual imagery in this passage, particularly with regards to colors, emphasizes the revelation that the protagonist has “amber eyes” like his renowned ancestor, marking him as a true Mesopotamian Blue. The scene’s peaceful mood is conveyed through descriptions of the “stars shimmering” and the reflections “calmly” returning the cats’ gazes—a tranquility that underlines Varjak’s newfound certainty in himself.

“His mind was like the sky after a storm. Everything was clear and sharp. He knew what he had to do. With one leap, he sprang onto the red velvet armchair. No one tried to stop him; not Father, not Julius. It was his. The power was his, and only he could decide what to do with it.”

The simile comparing Varjak’s mind to “the sky after a storm” demonstrates that the protagonist’s inner conflict is resolved. The repetition of “his” in the last two sentences underlines his newfound confidence in himself and his certainty that he’s proven his worthiness to lead the family.

“Varjak’s Moving Circle lifted him up, flying, an arc of vengeance aimed at the enemy. For the Elder Paw. For Holly and Tam. For every cat who’d Vanished off the streets. The power rose in Varjak’s paws. Claws slid out, white knives of fury, and slashed! slashed! slashed! the Gentleman’s cats.”

The repetition of fragments starting with “For” is an example of anaphora. Said uses this technique to emphasize the righteous anger that fuels Varjak during his final fight with the black cats. The metaphor comparing his claws to “white knives of fury” and the repetition of “slashed!” illustrate the cat’s power and courage during this decisive battle.