In the novel, Cinder: The Lunar Chronicles, the author takes the reader through a series of the dimensions of power and the particular impact that the power plays between the ruling class have on society. Through the use of well-thought-out behavioral traits of Prince Kai on the one hand and Queen Levana on the other, the author helps to explain how the ambitions of elite rulers of society impact society. In retrospect, by pitting the two characters against each other, the author helps the reader understand their specific strengths that are critical towards understanding the impact of the decisions that the rulers make. For Prince Kai, he perceives leadership as an opportunity to help improve the welfare of his people. However, Queen Lavina is driven by her desire to acquire more power. Their contrasting attributes become the cornerstone of the author’s book and her point of view that rulers should align their interests with those they rule.
Cinder, through her active role in the revolution activities, reveals personal concerns of the nature of the conflicts between the two leaders and how they adversely impact the citizens. Albeit indirectly, the character expresses her concerns about the adverse impact of the resulting conflict between Prince Kai and Queen Lavina. She is seemingly conscious of the different issues that affect the citizens, such as the Virus that threatens the very survival of them. It is as though the two leaders are unaware of how their differences impact the people. She builds their characters as a very narcissistic.
Going by the different characteristics of the two rulers, it is evident that Prince Kai is the most important character that the author develops in the novel. To begin, he portrays not only compassion for her people but also a form of loyalty towards ensuring that his people’s interests come first. He is not distracted by the schemes of Queen Laviva but approaches them heads on to make sure that they do not impede his agenda of finding the cure to the Leutomosis. Also, he ensures that he prioritizes his people’s needs and does fear visiting them in different areas of work and community services. At one point, he visits a booth in the marketplace as a sign of compassion towards his subject. Despite his position as a ruler of the people, he develops a particular liking towards Cinder, who is Cyborg and a commoner. He even tries to win her over using humor. At one of the visits to the market booth, he casually makes a joke at her. He says, “You see, I figured it’s probably too much to hope that New Beijing’s most renowned mechanic is having trouble with her port, so I figured there must be something wrong with mine” (Meyer, 290). Through such small acts of compassion to his subject and his loyalty to their interests, it accurate to hypothesize that indeed Prince is the most important character in the novel.
To conclude, the way that Cinder looks into the paradigms of society and the rulers, it is evident that she perceives the needs of those being ruled as being of greater importance than personal interests of the rulers. As such, it may explain her fondness towards Prince’s because he is seemingly aware of the needs of the people as opposed to Queen Laviva, whose only objective is to gain more power even if it means using the antidote as leverage to force the hand of Prince Kai. The benevolence of Prince Kai is seemingly a big charm for her, and though she resents the use of Cyborgs, her kind as to test subjects for medical research, when she is selected, she obliges as a part of fulfilling her duty as a citizen.
Works Cited
Meyer, Marissa. Cinder: book one of the Lunar Chronicles. Macmillan, 2013.
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