48 pages • 1 hour read
J. C. CervantesThe Storm Runner
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018A 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 Volcano
The volcano in Zane’s backyard plays an important role in Zane’s character development, symbolizing The Journey of Self-Discovery. At the beginning of the book, the volcano represents a safe place for Zane: a refuge to which he can retreat and be himself without fear of judgment. Shortly after he meets Brooks, however, the volcano becomes a symbol of all the new changes in Zane’s life as he learns its significance to the Mayan world. At the end of the book, Zane learns that his father put the volcano there to conceal Ah-Puch’s prison; this arrangement lets him keep an eye on both Ah-Puch and Zane. In turn, Zane realizes that his connection to the volcano has always been deeper than his superficial enjoyment of the place. As Zane’s Mayan blood draws him to this place, the volcano takes on a new meaning, for it brings together the different parts of Zane’s identity.
The volcano also symbolizes the history and the fall of much of the Mayan civilization. The Mayans have historically lived throughout Central America and also in parts of Mexico, often settling close to major volcanos. Three of the greatest eruptions in this area came during the time of the Mayan empire, and each one devastated the region and causing great upheaval. Crops failed, dust filled the air, and the climate shifted. Within the context of The Storm Runner, Cervantes references these cataclysmic events to foreshadow the trouble that Zane’s volcano will bring. With the release of Ah-Puch, Zane’s world completely changes. Rather than a place of safety, the volcano now becomes a danger zone that forces him to take up his quest to defeat Ah-Puch. In this way, the volcano represents the looming threat of sudden changes that irrevocably alter the path of one’s life.
Zane’s Canes
Throughout the book, Zane uses three different canes: a simple wooden one he’s had for years, the dragon-headed one that his mother gives him, and the metal one that the Sparkstriker makes to allow him to fight Ah-Puch and channel his own powers. Each cane connects to Mayan myth in a different way and adds to the larger understanding of Zane’s character. The simple wooden cane is the first one that Zane owns, and it represents how deeply Zane hates his disability. In his view, this cane is a necessary evil, for although it helps him to walk, he resents his dependence upon it. Later, Zane learns that this cane was a gift from his father, which shows how simple things can have a grander meaning. While the dragon-headed cane has a short-lived presence in the novel, dragons were considered creatures of protection in Mayan mythology, so this cane stands as a sign of his supernatural heritage and his imminent realization of his true identity. It is also significant that he uses it to protect himself against the bullies that he has always feared. The dragon cane meets its end in a battle with a demon runner, which represents the Mayan significance of the dragon. Zane throws the cane at the demon runner, delivering a fatal blow that dissolves the demon and the cane together. The dragon protects Zane here, sacrificing the cane so that Zane can escape. Finally, the cane that the Sparkstriker makes for Zane is also tied to the Mayan world. This cane is made of metal, and it helps Zane to channel his fire magic, ultimately allowing him to vanquish Ah-Puch in battle. This cane also takes away Zane’s limp, helping him to come to terms with his disability and see it as a strength rather than a weakness.
Zane’s Dog
Zane’s dog only appears at the beginning and the end of the novel, but she plays an important symbolic role in Zane’s character development. Zane initially took the dog in when he found her scrounging for survival by the volcano. Since she was missing a leg, he felt an immediate kinship with her, and from then on, he felt as though they were a team against the world. In this way, the dog symbolizes Zane’s normal world and his initial conviction that his self-worth is defined by his physical capabilities. After his dog is killed in her attempt to save him from a demon runner, finding her in the underworld becomes Zane’s main motivation for the rest of the book. Even after his release of Ah-Puch saddles him with the impossible task of saving the world, his underlying goal in the process is to rescue his dog from Xibalba. This shows Zane’s caring and selfless side, contributing to The Journey of Self-Discovery.
At the end of the novel, Zane learns that his dog has become a hell hound under Ixtab’s rule in Xibalba. Initially, Zane is devastated because he believes that his dog is lost to him forever. However, after he defeats Ah-Puch and learns of Ixtab’s role in helping his father, Zane realizes that his dog has played a key role in the plan to trick Ah-Puch into going to the Old World. In truth, Zane’s dog is physically different from her old self (if still missing a leg), but her spirit is the same, and this mirrors the changes that Zane himself undergoes. Like his dog, Zane changes by coming to terms with the fact that his physical difference doesn’t make him inferior. At the end of the novel, Zane’s dog goes into hiding with him even though she still has some hell hound qualities (such as breathing fire on command), and this optimistic conclusion honors the transformation that both Zane and his dog have made even as it sets the stage for future adventures.
