Alchemised

Helena Marino’s wartime journey toward self-discovery conveys how an individual’s social and political context can complicate their attempts at self-actualization. In both the narrative past and present, Helena tries to claim a definite sense of self despite the odds against her. When she first arrives in Paladia from Etras, Helena is an outsider. She is disparaged and disregarded for being a foreigner and a woman. Enrollment “at the Institute [is] a status symbol,” and her peers and educators are skeptical of her acceptance into the alchemy program (42). With the support of her new friend, Luc Holdfast, Helena convinces herself that she will “stay beyond Year Five,” “study more than just the principal foundations of alchemy,” and “ascend to the highest floors, make discoveries, and do the kind of work that would change the world”; she promises herself that her name will be “remembered forever” (42). These youthful aspirations establish Helena’s boldness, heart, and drive. However, she loses touch with these innate aspects of her identity after suffering years of abuse and exploitation at the hands of the Holdfasts, Morrough, and the Undying.