59 pages • 1 hour read
Katherine RundellImpossible Creatures
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Glimourie Tree and Glimourie
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of animal death.
In Impossible Creatures, the Glimourie Tree symbolizes the connection between humanity and the natural world. Knowledgeable characters in the novel describe the tree as the source of glimourie, the magical life force that runs through all living things and connects them. When humans and the natural world are in balance, there is enough glimourie to sustain all of existence and allow all creatures to thrive. Likewise, when humans and the natural world are out of balance, as when Francesco Sforza consumes vast amounts of glimourie, the natural world begins to fall apart.
The glimourie that comes from the tree isn’t just a force in the Archipelago; it also extends to Christopher’s world and to the entire planet. In this way, glimourie becomes a potent symbol of the connection that exists between the magical world and the nonmagical world, for what happens in one world has an impact on the other.
Gelifen
Gelifen, the last griffin in the Archipelago, stands as a symbol for the special relationship between creatures and humanity. His status as the very last of his species also illustrates the fragility of nature. Gelifen served as Mal’s companion when she lived a solitary life before the primary events of the book, and he also supports her during the dangerous adventures of her quest. He is a constant in her life, and their interdependence is meant to embody the ultimate example of the balance and kinship that is possible between humanity and the natural world.
Gelifen is the last griffin because humans hunted the species to extinction in Christopher’s world before the creation of the Archipelago. When Sforza begins to devour the Glimourie Tree, griffins die off in such numbers that the Azurial Senate declares them extinct. While Sforza is the true culprit, the indifference and inaction of the Azurial Senate also contribute to the death of the griffins and other creatures and habitats in the Archipelago, as the entity fails to serve its purpose and enact laws that are designed to protect the integrity of the natural world. In this context, Adam Kavil’s act of murdering Gelifen becomes emblematic of humanity’s callous destruction of the natural world. The gap left by the griffin’s death likewise shows the inexpressible value of all life forms.
The Azurial Senate
The Azurial Senate, also known as the Flying Senate, is the only governing body for the many islands of the Archipelago. When its indecisive, indifferent, and largely bumbling nature is revealed, the entity becomes a symbol bureaucratic impotence, for its members spectacularly fail to take any meaningful action to protect the world of the Archipelago. When confronted with the urgent need to discover what is killing animals and damaging habitats, the Azurial Senate gets bogged down in its own cumbersome processes and tells Irian Guinne that any decision on the matter will be delayed for six months as they work to determine the proper procedure for discovering the cause of the destruction. When Irian pleads with them to move more swiftly, their arrogance and pride prevent them from listening to her. Rundell uses the symbol of the Azurial Senate to show that a lack of collective action on the part of humanity puts the natural world at greater risk, and in this way, the events of the novel are designed to draw implicit parallels to the real-world issue of climate change and bureaucratic inadequacy.
The Waybetween
The waybetween represents the separation between the magical and nonmagical worlds. It also represents the importance of protecting the natural world from the greed and destructive habits of humanity. Created by the Immortal Helen of Antiok, the waybetween is the border between the Archipelago, where glimourie manifests as magic, and the nonmagical world, which contains only traces of glimourie. Thus, fantastical creatures such as sphinxes, griffins, and dragons can only exist in the Archipelago’s magic and are seen as mere legends in the nonmagical world. When the waybetween suddenly opens out of season, magical creatures come spilling into the nonmagical world, and Frank Aureate, Christopher’s grandfather, gathers them up because they are dangerous to humans. The border also allows humans to enter the Archipelago, and when Sforza ventures into the magical world and pursues a course of greed, his actions become so dangerous that he nearly destroys both worlds. Ultimately, it is only by limiting the traffic between the two worlds that both the magical and nonmagical worlds can preserve their distinct attributes.
