58 pages • 1 hour read
B. B. AlstonAmari and the Night Brothers
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Illusions and Magic
One of the first things Amari learns about herself in the supernatural world is that she is a magician and an illusionist. While some characters point out that illusions are tools of deceit, illusions come to represent Amari’s self-expression and her journey to choose good and change people’s minds about magic.
Magic is taboo in the supernatural world. It is synonymous to power, and most people consider an excess of magic to be corruptive (96). Illusions, in particular, have a negative connotation: They are something cast to cover something else up. Part of Amari’s struggle as a born magician is to prove that possession of magic does not automatically equate to evil like the Night Brothers. This reflects her experiences with racism and classism in the regular world; no matter where she goes, Amari is treated with hostility and prejudice, and others assume malice in her character. As Amari gains confidence in herself, she embraces magic and commits to proving that magicians can be good. This analogizes Amari’s determination to not allow stereotypes to define her; she fights back to show that a person’s background does not define them.
At first, Amari internalizes the negative perspective other characters have on magicians; she is afraid to use her magic until Dylan advises her that it can sense her doubt (247). In Chapter 21, he teaches her to “paint” illusions, imbuing them with a creative, positive connotation; this is the first moment that Amari sees that her illusions could be something more than trickery, coinciding with an evolving perspective on herself. She gains new confidence in her ability to use her magic for good and renews her confidence in her ability to stand up for herself. With this perspective, Amari successfully uses illusions to show others that they should give her—and other magicians—a chance, reflecting the theme of Hope in the Face of Prejudice.
Other magicians are shown using magic for deceit, but Amari, who is primarily an illusionist, learns how to use them to defend the greater good. It is Amari’s illusion magic that saves her at the climactic battle with Dylan, and the fact that she manifests an army of Amaris signifies her faith in her inherent goodness. Her self-doubt is no more, and her illusions, powered by “fair” magic, prove that.
Magic also drives the plot forward and ties Amari more closely to the supernatural world. The spell book she receives from Dylan in Chapter 18 is disguised until the magician can cast “Dispel” on it. Later, Amari’s connection to illusions exposes Moreau’s treachery: Amari’s warning from Madame Violet about what to trust allows her to dispel Moreau’s illusion, revealing that he was never in prison to begin with. Although others believe magic corrupts and thus refuse to engage with it, Amari’s understanding of magic and illusions allows her to uncover the truth and save the day, reinforcing the idea that magic can be used for good as well as evil.
Technology
In opposition to Amari as an illusionist, Dylan is a technologist. Even before the revelation of Dylan’s magician identity, technology is juxtaposed with the supernatural world. In Chapter 8, Amari learns that the supernatural world operates on a combination of magic and technology when she encounters a talking elevator (62). This establishes these two things as complementary structures of the supernatural world. Technology recurs not just as a motif in the setting, but also signifies Dylan’s magic as a foil of Amari’s.
While Amari learns to use her illusions as tools of self-expression, Dylan’s technology magic is one of manipulation. Dylan’s ability to use both illusions and techno-magic represents the struggle within him. While Dylan can use his technology skills for good (such as erasing the incriminating video from Lara’s phone in Chapter 19), he mostly uses it for deception and subterfuge. In Chapter 29, unbeknownst to Amari, he uses his techno-magic to override the Bureau’s security and steal the Black Book. He also casts an illusion of Maria, framing his older sister for his crime. This contrasts with the way he teaches Amari to paint beautiful illusions, implying that Dylan had the potential to be good like Amari. Ultimately, though, Dylan chooses to side with Moreau and act as his apprentice. The way Dylan manipulates technology to meet his ends signifies the contrast between Amari and fair magic and Dylan’s alignment with foul magic.
The Future
The future is a subtle motif in Amari’s story that suggests the direction of her character arc. In Chapter 1, Amari is unconcerned with her future; consumed by the frustration of her brother’s disappearance, all she can focus on is getting him back. Mama wants Amari to “broaden her horizons” so that she can recognize greater opportunity in her future (7). Quinton wants this for Amari too, which is why he nominates Amari for the Bureau summer camp so that she can experience the wonders of the supernatural world just as he did (23). The future here represents the hope Amari’s family has for her: that she will realize her greater potential beyond the limited opportunities in her neighborhood.
This ties into Jayden’s story, which, in turn, supports Amari’s development. Amari knows that Jayden’s situation is tougher, in some ways, than hers; his mother is often absent, and he has to fend for himself, leading to him joining a gang after Quinton—one of the few people who has supported him—disappears. Amari is discouraged in Chapter 4 to learn that Jayden has given up on his schooling; her feelings towards him parallel the ones that Mama and Quinton have for her. She wants Jayden to expand his horizons and realize his potential too. At the end of the novel, Amari uses her Congressional Favor to nominate Jayden for a Bureau tryout like Quinton did for her. She encourages Jayden that he is smart, and that he just needs someone to support him (408). This shows Amari’s growth and signifies how she can now focus on others and their futures because she has discovered her confidence and accomplished her goals.
The motif of the future reflects both Amari and Jayden’s experience of poverty and discrimination, and demonstrates that opportunity and support from others are sometimes what’s needed to be able to overcome bad circumstances. The future is a tool to give others hope that there are greater things waiting for them and valuable things to be realized inside themselves. If people’s horizons can be broadened, they will move forward; that’s what being a hero means to Amari.
