Theme and Summary
The theme of Graceling is 'Don't let others run your life for you, be who you are and live your life'.
This theme develops through out the story because in the beging Kasta does what ever her uncle tells her to and she lives by his rules. He runs her life for her and she has no choice in anything she does. And she's miserable because of it. But as the book goes on and Po comes in to Kasta's life, he starts to tell her that she is the only one who can run her life and she doesn't have to take orders from her uncle. So by the end of the book Kasta has broken away from her uncles grasp and she takes control of her own life. And she is very happy and can live without grief or guilt. A quote to support the theme statement is "'Isn't it in your power to refuse?' Po asked. 'How can anyone force you to do anything?' The fire burst into her throat and choked her. 'He is the king. And you're a fool, too, if you think I have a choice in the matter.' 'But you do have choice. He's not the one who makes you savage, when you bend yourself to his will,'" (Cashore 85). Chapter 12 is about Kasta and Po at one of their training sessions when Kastas uncle, King Randa, walks in and she get super mad. Randa made one comment and it almost set Kasta over the edge. Po tries to calm her down. Then at dinner, with just the two of them, Po tries to tell Kasta that she doesn't have to let her uncle control her and she gets angry and strikes Po on the jaw. After that she relizes what he said is true and then her and Po start getting a new idea on the kidnapping of his grandfather. This is a summary of chapter 12.