Given the centrality of character in Shade 's Children by Garth Nix, it is no surprise that issues of identity are prominent themes in the novel. The adolescent psychological quest of discovering an identity is made a physical fact in this novel. The individual Change Talents highlight the uniqueness of the individual and provide a role for that individual within their team, while the inner struggle of the resistance leader Shade also highlights the struggle of identity, as Shade is an artificial intelligence that identifies himself as human and strives for a human body. As the leader of the resistance, Shade wants to put an end to the Overlords and return the world to normal, but by doing this, he would also destroy himself as he relies on The Change to exist, which creates a paradox for him.
The children in Shade 's Children have been formed into a community by Shade. Shade 's existence is one of the most interesting elements of the novel, for his character distills many of the identity conflicts …show more content…
At nineteen, the leader Ella is, perhaps, the oldest human being on the planet. The other young adults her age who managed to escape the Meat Factory have all died on guerilla missions ordered by Shade. As the oldest, Ella takes on the responsibility of keeping her team alive. However, there is nothing inherently maternal with her character . She is a hardened warrior who kills without regret or guilt. More so, Ella has learned that emotions are something that will only lead to her death. The younger members of the team are not yet so hardened. Ella 's Change Talent is the ability to create a physical object from an image in her mind. To effect such a change requires a great deal of energy, sometimes leaving Ella physically drained to the point of
The children in Shade 's Children have been formed into a community by Shade. Shade 's existence is one of the most interesting elements of the novel, for his character distills many of the identity conflicts …show more content…
At nineteen, the leader Ella is, perhaps, the oldest human being on the planet. The other young adults her age who managed to escape the Meat Factory have all died on guerilla missions ordered by Shade. As the oldest, Ella takes on the responsibility of keeping her team alive. However, there is nothing inherently maternal with her character . She is a hardened warrior who kills without regret or guilt. More so, Ella has learned that emotions are something that will only lead to her death. The younger members of the team are not yet so hardened. Ella 's Change Talent is the ability to create a physical object from an image in her mind. To effect such a change requires a great deal of energy, sometimes leaving Ella physically drained to the point of