City of Bones

Chapter 5 offers additional context to the Shadow world. Though the Institute is only home to Jace, the Lightwoods, and Hodge, the place is enormous, so it can provide for an army of Shadowhunters. The Shadowhunters are a world-wide group dedicated to protecting the Earth and humankind from demons, and the size and grandeur of the Institute suggests they are well funded, though no mention of how is ever made. Later, it’s revealed that Hodge and the Lightwoods have been cursed and sentenced (respectively) to live in New York after their involvement with Valentine. Jace doesn’t tell Clary that here, which shows how secretive the Shadowhunters are. The story of Valentine’s demise is also untrue. Valentine faked his death after his followers turned on him and were almost defeated during the uprising against the Clave. His family consisted of his wife (Clary’s mom) and son (Jonathan), Clary’s brother, who is later believed to be Jace.

To keep Clary hidden from the demons, Jace draws a rune on Clary’s arm, which is a risk because humans cannot survive Shadowhunter runes. Jace’s actions here highlight his personality. He is a risk-taker, and his inflated self-confidence leads him to make decisions first and deal with consequences later. Given the immediate liking he takes to Clary and how important she seems to be to what’s going on with the demons, Jace believed marking her was a calculated risk with a high probability of success. The rune working identifies Clary as a Shadowhunter, which jumpstarts her character growth. Though she isn’t trained and has no memory of the Shadow world, knowing Shadowhunter blood runs through her veins gives her the strength she needs to rescue her mom and learn the truth of her past. Her Shadowhunter blood also symbolizes the lies her mom has told her. In addition to giving her strength, knowing what she is makes Clary angry because she isn’t sure if she can trust her mom.

Isabelle’s and Alec’s reactions to Clary set up interpersonal tension for the rest of the book. As the only girl with two brothers and Jace (who is like a brother), Isabelle is used to attention and being admired. Clary threatens her, both because she’s pretty and because killing the demon shows Clary has latent Shadowhunter skills. Isabelle’s reluctance to be impressed here begins the rocky relationship between the two girls that is resolved at the story’s end. Similarly, Alec dislikes Clary from the beginning. Alec is gay, which is frowned upon in Shadowhunter society, and he has kept his growing feelings for Jace a secret. Jace helping Clary is out of character for him, and Alec feels threatened by the idea that Jace might have feelings for her. Alec hides his feelings behind contempt for Clary, which is also resolved at the end of the book.

The forsaken in Chapter 6 is the result of humans forced to take Shadowhunter runes. The forsaken here is grotesquely huge, disfigured, and strong. When applied to humans, the runes cause debilitating pain that drive them beyond reason, and as a result, forsaken cannot think for themselves. This creature acts on the orders of whoever marked it, making it a very dangerous foe that is easily out-maneuvered. The forsaken is more proof that Jace was sure of Clary’s Shadowhunter blood, as his apparent feelings for her would have stopped him from doing this kind of irreparable harm.

In Chapter 6, Hodge tells Clary that Valentine wants to destroy Down-worlders to keep the human race pure. Valentine’s attitude represents a division both among Shadowhunters and between Shadowhunters and Down-worlders. The beliefs of Valentine and his followers are in direct contradiction to the peace accords the Lightwoods are currently overseeing, showing that not all Shadowhunters share Valentine’s views. Valentine’s desire to purify humankind is a form of racism and reflects genocide in human history and present. Valentine believes in Shadowhunter supremacy, which is similar to feelings of white supremacy, and through Valentine, Clare comments on the destruction and hatred such beliefs may bring about.