60 pages • 2 hours read
A Tempest of Tea
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Symbols & Motifs
Calibore
Calibore represents Arthie’s complex claim on Ettenia as a nation and as her “home,” while also exploring The Impact of Colonialism on Personal Development. As a magical artifact, Calibore means different things to different people. Arthie views it as her tether to her revenge against Ettenia, while Laith sees it as his duty and goal. However, the artifact’s reputation among the people of Ettenia portrays it as a prized but ultimately decorative object that symbolizes the country’s power. Calibore’s symbolic significance is therefore highly mutable. The people of Ettenia rendered it a useless symbol for profit, while Arthie uses it as a weapon and as a marker of her power over Ettenia, and Laith uses it for murder. In all three cases, however, Calibore becomes a tool for violence and power, not for peace.
Hafsah Faizal crafts Calibore as a symbolic derivative of the Arthurian sword Excalibur, just as Arthie’s name is derived from Arthur’s. Just as Arthur famously pulled Excalibur from the stone, Arthie solved the mechanisms and pulled Calibore, a pistol, from the stone that held it. However, Arthie’s act undoes the image of the “divine right of kings” as well as the white privilege tied up in the implicit connection between England and Ettenia, for she is an orphan immigrant rather than a prince. This fact also enforces the idea that Calibore is no more or less than what the bearer makes of it. Arthie has little interest in ruling Ettenia, but she does intend to use Calibore to exact her revenge on the oppressive country. Calibore itself has no will beyond the will of its bearer, and this aspect of the novel indicates the power of individual choice and serves as a reminder that the narrative of the colonist will always seek to undermine or erase the voices of the colonized.
Teacups and Syringes
As the primary instruments of Spindrift, teacups and syringes serve as motifs representing Ettenian society and propriety, even though these images contrast with one another. At one point in the text, Matteo says, “I’ve wondered if those of us who come and drink tea can taste the blood you serve in those very same cups” (9), and his comment identifies the tension at the heart of Spindrift—the willingness to welcome and serve everyone regardless of their social station or identity. This is a rare haven in a place where so many groups are at odds with one another. Ultimately, Spindrift’s teacups and syringes serve the same purpose—they work as vehicles to provide customers with a nourishing substance—but one substance is damning while the other is viewed as “proper.” This dichotomy neatly establishes the devalued position that vampires endure in Ettenian society—even though they have done little to nothing to deserve such systemic abuse.
These motifs allow the author to explore the idea of vampires as a minority group—without drawing a clear analogue to a specific experience of disenfranchisement. The propaganda and aggression that the vampires experience, as well as the difficulty of surviving in a hostile world, are designed to generically resemble the real-world experiences of many different minority groups, whether these groups are marginalized due to their race, sexuality, disability, or a combination of several. In the world of the novel, vampires can use teacups or syringes to get what they need, and there should be nothing wrong with this, but Arthie risks her business, her reputation, and even her life to provide a safe haven for them.
Hair Color
Hair color—namely Arthie and Matteo’s—serves as a motif that explores The Tension between Secrecy and Trust. Arthie’s mauve hair is a deliberate act of defiance that is specifically intended to distract people from her race or her other traits, such as her well-hidden vampirism. Later in the novel, Matteo’s bleached-blond hair serves as a disguise that hides him from high vampire society. In both cases, Arthie and Matteo use their hair color to hide their true selves. The reason why Matteo is not welcome at the Athereum is never revealed, and this gap demonstrates his lack of trust in Arthie and the others. Similarly, Arthie’s secrets are only revealed under duress. Because Arthie and Matteo distract others from their secrets rather than being honest with those they care about, they become isolated and ultimately damage their relationships.
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