110 pages • 3 hours read
Silvia Moreno-GarciaGods of Jade and Shadow
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Chapters 1-2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary
At the start of the story, Casiopea Tun’s father has died. As a result, she and her mother live with Casiopea’s grandfather and other family members, who make Casiopea and her mother wait on them and do the housework. The one hope Casiopea has is that her grandfather will leave her some money upon his passing so she can move to the city of Mérida and pursue a better life. Until then, she keeps to her chores “like a soldier on a campaign” (4).
Casiopea’s days are all similar—running errands, doing chores, and waiting impatiently for the day she can leave her monotonous life behind. One night, Casiopea vents her frustration to her mother, who urges Casiopea to act like a well-bred young lady and continue practicing her lessons. Casiopea doesn’t understand the purpose if her studies will not lead to a better life: Her mother followed that path and was now little more than a slave in her father’s house. Feeling sad and furious, Casiopea reflects on the monotony of her life, lamenting that “the world was all gray, not a hint of color to it” (12).
Chapter 2 Summary
Once a month, Grandfather’s household takes a trip to a cenote (a deep lake within a cave) rumored to have mystical healing properties. Casiopea looks forward to this day because she doesn’t have to do her chores and can enjoy her family’s company.
The day before the next trip, she is shining Grandfather’s boots when Martín finds her and orders her to shine his boots, too. When she refuses, he insults her, saying she walks around like a princess despite having a low-born father. When Casiopea argues that her father was a good man and that she will one day be better than Martín, he tells her there’s no money for her in Grandfather’s will. Casiopea realizes that he isn’t lying, and Martin ends the confrontation, saying that Casiopea doesn’t have to polish his shoes today because “you’ll have plenty of chances to polish them every day, for the rest of your life” (17).
The following day, Casiopea is told to stay behind while the rest of the family goes to the cenote. In anger, she tosses her sewing kit on the dresser, and a key to the chest at the foot of Grandfather’s bed falls to the floor. She knows opening the chest might incur more wrath from Grandfather, but with her anger about boil over, she can’t fight the temptation and unlocks the chest to find bones inside. Searching through them for something more, she pricks her finger on one of the bones, and the bones leap out of the chest to form a skeleton that grows flesh and becomes a beautifully handsome man.
The man introduces himself as Hun-Kamé, Supreme Lord of Xibalba, a god of death. His brother, Vucub-Kamé, with the aid of Casiopea’s grandfather, removed Hun-Kamé’s left ear, eye, and index finger before imprisoning him in the chest. He and Casiopea must journey to the White City (Mérida) to retrieve the parts, as well as his jade necklace. Casiopea doesn’t understand why she needs to go with him, and the god indicates the piece of his bone that’s lodged in her thumb. His connection drains her blood to keep him alive, and she “must remain at [his] side, or perish” (24).
Casiopea can barely believe what is happening, but she accepts the opportunity to go on an adventure and leave her hopeless life behind. After finding Hun-Kamé clothes, they take a tram to Mérida in the village center. Hun-Kamé thanks Casiopea for her assistance, which makes her realize she has no idea how she’s supposed to help him. Still, the call to adventure and freedom is too tempting, and she decides to figure it out as she goes.
Chapters 1-2 Analysis
Chapters 1 and 2 introduce the main characters of Gods of Jade and Shadow. Casiopea is the protagonist who soon finds herself living amongst gods. Chapter 1 shows her life of hardship and how she is relegated to the status of servant within her own family. This narrative continues in Chapter 2, where the addition of Martín exemplifies the gender inequalities in Mexico during the 1920s. Casiopea’s observation that her world was black and white foreshadows how Hun-Kamé and her adventure at his side will bring color to her world. Her desire to go to Mérida manifests in leaving for the city in Chapter 2, and she will venture to many other cities throughout the novel.
The introduction of Hun-Kamé catalyzes the main plot and sets up the world building of both Earth and Xibalba. The narrative will make parallels between the worlds of mortals and gods, showing the ways in which they are both different than and similar to one another.
Gods of Jade and Shadow is a modern-day fairy tale based on Mayan mythology. Hun-Kamé and Vucub-Kamé represent the dichotomies of light and dark often present in fairy tales and the balance that is eventually found. Casiopea’s rags-to-riches storyline makes her a Cinderella-type character, and Martín is the essential villain to complete the balance. With Casiopea helping Hun-Kamé, Vucub-Kamé requires a human champion to keep the balance between him and his brother; Martín will emerge in this role in later chapters.
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By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
