Red Rising

The ArchGovernor sentences Eo to death for singing a forbidden song. Its lyrics speak of resisting unjust power structures: “Remember the chains / When gold ruled with iron reins / We roared and roared / And twisted and screamed / For ours, a vale / of better dreams” (42). In singing this, Eo proclaims her dream of liberation for the Reds. Her message drives Darrow’s actions throughout the novel.

Others on Mars, who view Eo’s song on holoCans, call her Persephone after the mythological goddess. Darrow intends for Eo’s song to resonate throughout the Society until he makes its lyrics (which also mention a reaper, another key image) a reality. Darrow also associates the song with Mustang, whom he hears singing the song repeatedly.

Recalling the familiar image of the grim reaper, the reaper and scythe recur throughout the novel. They appear in Eo’s song and the card game with which Dancer tests Darrow’s cunning. Mustang first calls Darrow the nickname Reaper, due to the scythe-shaped slingBlade (a familiar tool from his Helldiver days) always in his hand. The name sticks, and the scythe becomes a symbol of the Reaper’s dominance in the game, as well as Darrow’s haunted character. Darrow says, “I am the Reaper and death is my shadow” (257). Darrow’s Reaper’s scythe speaks to his violent abilities and the justice he plans to bring upon the cruel Society in his future revolution.

The haemanthus is a red flower native to Mars. After Darrow’s father was killed, Eo left a haemanthus on Darrow’s doorstep. Later Darrow picks the flower for Eo and keeps it with him after her death. He hides one of the haemanthus petals inside a Pegasus pendant around his neck. The flower symbolizes Darrow’s enduring love for Eo, whom he remembers often throughout the story. Moreover, as Darrow’s feelings for Mustang develop, he considers giving her a haemanthus but decides against it.

The wolf is the animal mascot of House Mars. Early in the game, Sevro begins fighting and killing wolves and wearing their skins. Sevro resembles a wolf not only physically—with his small stature and claw-like nails—but also in fighting strategy, with his gift for tracking and fierce individualism. 

Later, Darrow uses this to his advantage, employing Sevro’s ruthlessness and the wolfskins of his band of Howlers in several key battles. After Darrow’s separation from House Mars, he adopts the wolf imagery for his new army and gives wolfskins to his troops. Commenting on his aggressive style, Mustang tells Darrow, “You are the wolf that howls and bites. [...] With you? Hell, kill or be killed” (269). Darrow’s wolf-like character, then, connects him with Sevro, with whom he comes to share a loyal bond. 

One of Darrow’s greatest attributes is his hands. His superior role in the mines of Mars reflects this talent: “To be a Helldiver, they say your fingers must flicker fast as tongues of fire. Mine flicker faster” (4). Darrow shows off his quick fingers and innovative thinking to Mickey when the Carver argues Darrow is not smart or agile enough for life as a Gold. Darrow also uses his quick hands throughout the Institute’s battles, particularly when capturing his rival the Jackal.

Another important scene utilizing hand imagery is Mustang’s explanation of an equitable social order. She shows him that “A hand is like the Society” (270), in that all parts of a system contribute value to the whole. This conversation inspires Darrow to offer other students autonomy rather than force them into slavery, as the Society would do. 

Darrow’s Uncle Narol taught him the dances of Lykos. While learning Gold customs, Darrow finds that their traditional dances resemble those of the Reds. Later, in battle, Darrow dances through combat: “I move as if in a dance, remembering the thumping pattern my uncle taught me in the abandoned mines. The Reaping Dance carries my motions into one another like flowing water” (209-10). The illegal Reaping Dance of Lykos both links Darrow to his native identity and his new identity as the Reaper at the Institute. Dancing, then, bridges the gap as Darrow’s identity threatens to fracture.