Zahrah the Windseeker Literary Elements

Young adult fantasy fiction

The fantasy novel is set in the imaginary Northern Kingdom of Ooni (planet Ginen). On this fictional planet, plants are used to provide technology, and children born with dreadlocks are regarded as evil omen to society.

The novel is written in third-person narrative from Zahrah’s point of view.

The tone is ardent, and the mood is melancholic.

The protagonist is Zahrah, and the antagonist is society.

There is a conflict between society and the children born with dreadlocks. Society thinks that children with interwoven dreadlocks are a bad omen, but on the contrary, those beliefs are false.

The climax comes when Zahrah manages to rescue Dari from the dangerous jungle everyone fears entering. However, Zahrah’s courage enables her to disapprove of societal beliefs that she is evil. The acceptance of Zahrah in society marks the climax of the text.

Dari’s snake bite in the jungle foreshadows Zahrah’s magical power. When Zahrah goes to rescue Dari, she realizes she can fly because her interwoven dreadlocks have the magical power to enable her to execute impossible missions.

The significance of children born with interwoven hair in the Ooni kingdom is understated. In reality, Zahrah grows up to become a very good girl who benefits society at large, unlike the false superstitious stories about the dada.

The superstitious stories about the dada in the Ooni Kingdom allude to people's presumptions about mysterious children born in society.

The images inside the Forbidden Greeny Jungle show the danger of staring at Zahrah if she dares enter to rescue Dari. Some fantastical plants and creatures pose a real threat to anyone who dares to get inside. Consequently, the author uses sight imagery to aid readers visualizes the scary nature of the Forbidden Greeny Jungle.

The main paradox is that society believes that Zahrah is a disgrace and a bad omen, but on the contrary, she grows up to become a good girl who respects people. More importantly, Zahrah uses her magic to help whoever is in need.

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Dada is a metonymy to refer to bad luck.

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