Rhetorical Analysis: ““No Saint ever watched over me”: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone

Abstract

This paper analyzes season one of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone through the lens of fantasy theme analysis to find how the rhetors advocate for religious tolerance through two specific characters: Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa. Shadow and Bone, while being a show created for young adults, creates a new perspective on how young adult media can handle the topic of religion delicately without focusing too closely on one specific religion. This paper takes previous fantasy theme analyses into consideration as they have been applied to offer forms of media. By considering the charcter, action, and setting themes available in the storylines of Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa, this paper breaks down the subtle ways the rhetors showed tolerance throughout the season. The rhetorical vision built by the rhetors showed that while it is good and possible to have tolerance for the religious beliefs, but each person will have a breaking point where they can no longer allow tolerate the religious beliefs as they impede on safety, health, and relationships. 

Sample of Introduction and Conclusion

Introduction

Despite the bleakness of the daily news, the world always seems to love a good dystopian story that highlights good and evil in ways that have not yet been discussed. Shadow and Bone does just this while bringing in new aspects such as religion, the impact of parasocial relationships, and the trustworthiness of authority figures for the audience to consider as they involve themselves in the fictional world created by Leigh Bardugo and the found-family of characters the storylines revolve around. Using morally grey characters and a couple of plot twists, Bardugo created a world that requires the audience to consider representations of race, religion, justice, and culture in Young Adult media.

Conclusion

Using fantasy theme analysis as a theoretical framework, I have answered my research question of how do rhetors advocate for tolerance surrounding religious beliefs by analyzing Inej Ghafa and Kaz Brekker for character, action, and setting themes that create the rhetorical vision of religious belief tolerance. Bardugo and Heisserer, through the weaving of multiple storylines and themes, created a dystopian-fantasy world that highlights important conversations of religion, race, and friendship in ways that other Young Adult media may not do. By using religion in a delicately handled way, Bardugo and Heisserer open a discussion of religion belief tolerance and how far tolerance can go before it breaks, Bardugo and Heisserer also highlight the importance of change and growth through the rhetorical visions of Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa and show that motivations and actions can change, thus showing a change in internal belief systems.