City of Bones

Jace is a major character and one of Clary’s love interests. He is one of the best Shadowhunters of his generation, and he acts “as if there were no empty space he could not fill with his belief in his own invincibility” (301). Jace’s greatest aspect is his confidence, and his tragic flaw is the self-doubt that confidence covers. He believes in himself and his abilities, which has led him to kill more demons than anyone his age. His unshakable assuredness in himself attracts Clary to him because she sees the kind of confidence she wants to exude. For most of the book, Jace doesn’t waver in action or words. At the end of the book when he’s in Valentine’s presence, Jace’s self-doubt overtakes his confidence. Though Jace claims he felt comfortable growing up in his supposed father’s house, Valentine used subtle forms of aggression to erode Jace’s confidence. Away from Valentine, Jace can wear his mask of confidence, but in Valentine’s presence, he feels small and as if his every action is being judged. He has associated this feeling with safety, and thus, he does not even realize how he is acting until Clary breaks through his uncertainty. At the end of the book, Jace appears to be unaffected by the encounter with Valentine, but given how he hides his emotions behind swagger, he may still be hurting and just not showing it.

Simon is Clary’s best friend and second love interest. Where Jace looks like a bad-boy, Simon is the “boy next door” and perpetually looks “as if he were on his way to chess club” (5). Simon is the only main character who is a regular human, and amid the Shadowhunters he feels out of place. He has been in love with Clary for years, and when Clary starts to get involved in a world he isn’t part of, Simon acts in ways that are uncharacteristic to get her attention and to try and fit in so Clary won’t leave him behind. Simon also challenges the Shadowhunter image of humans. Shadowhunters believe themselves above humans because they can use runes to make themselves stronger and because of their greater purpose to destroy demons. At the end of the book, Simon’s quick-thinking and skill with a bow saves the Shadowhunters, which forces them to rethink their opinion of humans. Simon represents the idea that people should be judged as individuals, rather than as a group.

Isabelle is one of the Shadowhunter teens who lives at the New York Institute. She is tall, muscular, and graceful, and she uses “her beauty like she used her whip” (324), as seen in Chapter 1 when she lures the demon into the storage room with her appearance. Like Jace, Isabelle hides behind her confidence, but Isabelle’s belief in herself is less easily shaken because she doesn’t try to completely cover up any weakness she might possess. As the only girl among so many boys, Isabelle feels threatened when Clary first comes to the Institute. Clary is the exact opposite of Isabelle—petite and delicate. Like Clary, Isabelle wishes she looked differently than she does, but where Clary feels uncomfortable in her skin, Isabelle both wishes she were different and accepts who she is to use what she has to her advantage. By the end of the book, Isabelle understands that Clary isn’t the enemy and that they do not have to be in competition with one another.

Alec is Isabelle’s brother and Jace’s best friend. Where Isabelle and Jace thrive in the spotlight, Alec often looks “as if he hoped nobody would notice him” (68). Like Clary, Alec is uncomfortable in his skin, though his discomfort is more than skin deep. Alec is gay, which is frowned upon in Shadowhunter society, and he hides this part of him to keep himself and his family from being ridiculed. Where Jace and Isabelle excel in combat, Alec has never killed a demon, which suggests he either dislikes fighting or that his skills lie elsewhere. At the end of the book, Alec nearly dies following the battle with Abbadon because he tried to prove himself by attacking the demon. Alec represents how we should not be afraid to be who we are or to do what we are good at. Venturing out of his comfort zone in combat nearly gets him killed, and if he had stayed as backup for Isabelle and Jace, he may not have gotten so hurt. Alec comes to terms with his sexual orientation by the end of the book, but he does not take steps toward being accepted in Shadowhunter society, something that may be resolved later in the series.

Valentine is the book’s antagonist. He is described as having “the face of a priest, with sorrowful eyes” (367), which may be commentary about the corruption that can run through the ranking members of a religious organization. Valentine’s views of humans and Down-worlders mirror those of real-life racism. He believes Shadowhunters are the dominant race, and he is willing to do anything to keep the bloodlines pure. Valentine symbolizes what becomes of society when people refuse to look past their differences to recognize we are all alike. Twenty years before the opening of City of Bones, Valentine’s group nearly destroyed the Clave and ended Down-worlders in the name of purity, similar to the various incidents of genocide in human history. Valentine is driven by hate, and it’s likely if he were asked why he hates a group that he would have no true answer.

Magnus is a warlock (half-human, half-demon) and his eyes have “vertical slit pupils, like a cat’s” (223)—his warlock mark. Magnus is immortal and has been alive for hundreds of years. His mother killed herself when she realized what he was, and his father tried to murder him, forcing Magnus to kill the man to survive. Though his life has been full of obstacles, Magnus does not let the weight of his past rest on him, and his attitude toward the past symbolizes the harm we bring to ourselves when we refuse to deal with what’s happened to us before. The events of his past hurt him then, but Magnus does not hold on to that pain and allow it to hurt him again. Instead, he uses the memories as fuel to protect Down-worlders and ensure fewer face the challenges he did.

Hodge is Jace’s, Alec’s, and Isabelle’s tutor at the New York Institute. Hodge fought on Valentine’s side years ago, and as punishment the Clave cursed him so he could never set foot outside. Desperate to break the curse, he aligns with Valentine again and delivers the Mortal Cup to him at the end of the book. While Hodge’s actions are self-serving, Hodge is not evil or an antagonist in the story. He doesn’t help Valentine to hurt others, only to benefit himself, but the kids of the Institute are harmed in the crossfire. Hodge represents how people often don’t intend to do others harm but manage to anyway. Even after Hodge betrays the kids, he makes sure Alec is saved, and he hides Clary from Valentine in the Institute.

Luke is a former Shadowhunter (once Lucian Graymark) who was turned into a werewolf while out hunting with Valentine. After Valentine faked his death, Luke went with Clary’s mom to New York, where they teamed up as friends and also to keep one another safe should Valentine or the Clave ever find them. Luke lies to Clary to protect her throughout the book. He pretends not to care about her because he knows Valentine will use any perceived feelings against him to further his agenda. Luke believes pushing Clary away is the best way to keep her safe. Luke also fears Valentine to a degree, and it may be that Luke thinks less of himself because he’s a Down-worlder, even though there is no reason for him to do so.

Madam Dorothea is Clary’s downstairs neighbor and one of the rare humans who knows of and interacts with the Shadow world. Madam Dorothea represents how Shadowhunters underestimate humans, as well as how humans are just as good as Shadowhunters because they possess skills Shadowhunters do not. Clary’s mom hid the Mortal Cup with Madam Dorothea because she knew the Clave would never suspect her of having it. As a human, Madam Dorothea isn’t worth the Clave’s time or effort, which shows how elitism and prejudice keep us from seeing the value people who are different from us.

Brother Jeremiah is one of the Silent Brothers, Shadowhunters who have taken on runes that keep them from making any noise at all. The brothers reside in the City of Bones, where they have access to powers regular Shadowhunters do not and keep records of Shadowhunter history and lineages. Given their immense power and knowledge, the Silent Brothers may have known where Clary’s mom was all along. At the end of the book, Brother Jeremiah refuses to help Clary’s mom because she left the Clave, and if the brothers knew where she was hiding, they may not have reached out because they believed she was a traitor.