Golden Son

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2015

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Part 1, Chapters 5-11

Part 2, Chapters 12-18

Part 2, Chapters 19-24

Part 3, Chapters 25-29

Part 3, Chapters 30-34

Part 3, Chapter 35 Summary: “Teatime”

Part 4, Chapters 40-45

Part 4, Chapters 46-51

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Pegasus Pendant

The Pegasus pendant that Darrow received in the first book of the series serves as a multifaceted symbol of both Darrow’s false identity and his secret mission. Darrow wears the pendant as a necklace, which opens when he says “Eo.” The Pegasus on the pendant is the sigil of the Andromedus family—who previously died in search of riches in the asteroid belt. Darrow describes the pendant as “the symbol of Andromedus, [his] false Gold family. But the symbol reminds [him] of Eo. She pointed out the Andromeda Galaxy to [him] before she died” (250). Outwardly, the Pegasus pendant is a symbol that supports Darrow’s false connection to the Andromedus family, but privately, it’s also a symbol of Eo’s love for Darrow and her dream of freedom; it becomes a totem Darrow uses to remember why he is fighting against the Society.

Razor

Razors are advanced weapons that only Golds are allowed to carry. They appear throughout the story, forming a motif that supports the theme of A Society Built on Oppression and Exploitation. The razors act as another distinction between Golds and the other Colors, with Golds receiving exclusive use of the advanced technological weapons—a visual representation of their social superiority.

The razors that Darrow gives to Ragnar and the other Obsidians while fighting on Mars signify Darrow’s respect for the lowColor fighters. He does not believe Golds are superior and has no qualms about presenting non-Golds with razors. Some Golds, namely Sevro, support Darrow’s choice. Others, such as Thistle, are deeply offended by Darrow’s egalitarian gesture. These negative reactions reflect social conditioning, while Darrow’s willingness to share the Gold weapon represents the disruption of the Society’s oppression.

Swear Words

The author creates a specificity of language to signify the distinct identity of each Color’s culture. Different Colors have their own variations on swear words, for example, with Reds using bloody- and Golds using gory-, as in “bloodyhell” and “goryhell.” The linguistic variances are a motif representing the separation of the Colors.

Dancer, who has researched the origins of “bloody” provides a brief history:

Been with us since the first ancestors, you know. The first Golds, the ones with normal eyes and Gold uniforms, took most of the early recruits from the poor bastards from the Irish isles after the radiation from London turned the isles into a wasteland. The Golds took the highly skilled migratory workforce and recruited them to be the first Pioneers (448).

Dancer’s information provides additional context for the origins of the Society’s hierarchical system, and underscores the significance of “bloody” as a curse word, symbolizing the history of Red oppression.