The daughter of martyrs
Martyrdom comes from the Greek word for "to witness," and the gist is that someone who witnesses serious injustice is probably made to suffer in extreme ways. For instance, the victims of the Spanish Inquisition are martyrs for religious freedom, because they accepted torture and death instead of converting. This novel features a main character who is symbolically tied to martyrdom by legacy. Her parents died in prison for fighting to end apartheid in South Africa, and Rosa's call, she feels, is to live up to the example of their sacrifice.
Persecution and injustice
The motif of government injustice and persecution is an important note in this novel. Rosa's most intimate emotions—her love for her martyred parents—keeps her deeply identified to martyrdom itself. She automatically gives her life to the cause, not fearing the persecution that will probably befall her. As a martyr, she must undergo this novel's plot, because that through trials and tribulations, her willingness to do the right thing is analyzed, tested, and improved.
The journey to Nice
For Rosa, France represents something epic and archetypal. Consider it this way: as a right-fighter and warrior for justice, Rosa automatically becomes a "good guy" in her own opinion, but when the community she alleges to defend encounters her, they accuse her of ulterior motives and insinuate that she is actually hurting the cause. This is like a late inciting incident that sparks a journey to a new place. That encounter sends her spiraling into a different point of view through adventure. She is becoming a hero.
The maternal encounter
Rosa encounters a symbolic woman who helps her adjust with a new alternative life in France which allows Rosa to really process her life in a new context. It is symbolic, therefore, that the woman who allows her this second analysis should be like a second mother to her. Because Katya is her father's ex-wife, she is a hypothetical second mother (an extremely common motif in all human literature). The second mother allows exactly what her character provides; new points of view, new types of support, and a season of growth and evolution. This is like Superman and the ghost of his father in the Fortress of Solitude.
The challenge of heroism
The issue of empathy is constantly leveled against Rosa because she is a white woman who is involved in anti-apartheid efforts because of the influence of her upbringing. As if to portray an internal dilemma manifesting itself in her life, Rosa is subjected to a motif of confrontation where various characters will accuse her of being an imposter. The motif is a demonstration of an emotional feeling called imposter syndrome which in this case is Rosa's challenge to overcome. How does she establish her willingness to strive for justice without playing the white savior?
