The Lightning Queen Literary Analysis

In Laura Resau’s historical fiction, The Lightning Queen, characters frequently struggle with the conflict of life and death. After the protagonist’s sister, Lucita, dies from a tragic accident, her mother is never the same. Since the cause of Lucita’s death lies in the stream, Teo states, “The spirit of the stream can snatch them under” (Resau 47). While thinking about Ga, Da, and Ba, Teo worries that their fates would be the same as his sister’s. Even though they thrive and are healthy children, the thought of death never leaves him. Additionally, his mother’s actions remind him of death constantly. After a party and celebration for the gypsy clan, “Inside, my mother sat in the corner, the lantern casting eerie shadows over her face” (Resau