50 pages • 1-hour read
King of the Wind
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Symbols & Motifs
The Wind
The wind serves as a motif of The Role of Divine Will in Personal Destiny. In developing this motif, Henry draws upon an ancient Bedouin legend about the origins of the Arabian horse: “When Allah created the horse, he said to the wind, ‘I will that a creature proceed from thee. Condense thyself.’ And the wind condensed itself, and the result was the horse” (29). By including this creation myth, the author suggests that God pays particular care to Arabian horses, adding to the narrative’s message that the Godolphin Araban was destined for greatness.
Agba’s promise to Sham is another vital appearance of the motif. In Chapter 5, the protagonist vows, “I will be a father to you, Sham, and when you are grown the multitudes will bow before you. And you will be King of the Wind” (41). The novel’s title comes from this promise, and the motif’s appearances throughout the novel assure Agba that God has a plan for his horse. For example, their arrival at Gog Magog fills Agba with hope that “[s]oon Sham would be the wind beneath the sun” (128). Thematically, the mention of the wind signals that their arrival at the Earl of Godolphin’s stables marks vital progress toward the horse’s destiny. In the final chapter, Agba achieves his promise of making Sham the King of the Wind when Queen Caroline honors the horse before a vast, admiring crowd. This resolution implies that all of the struggles the boy and his horse endured over the course of the narrative were part of a glorious divine plan leading to this moment. The motif of the wind gives the novel its title, advances the theme of the role of divine will in personal destiny, develops the devotion between Agba and Sham, and brings the narrative full-circle.
Sham’s White Spot
The white spot on Sham’s hind heel represents speed. Agba is filled with joy when he sees this auspicious sign in Chapter 3: “It was no bigger than an almond, but it was there! The white spot—the emblem of swiftness!” (33). The author emphasizes the symbol’s importance when it convinces Signor Achmet to spare Sham’s life even though the newborn colt also bears the ill-fated mark of the wheat ear. The two symbols remain in conflict throughout Sham’s tale, reflecting how the horse’s life is marked by both greatness and misfortune.
Over the course of the story, Agba touches the white spot when he desires reinforcement of his faith in Sham’s destiny, such as when he hopes that Sham will be one of the horses chosen as a gift for King Louis XV. The symbol reappears in Chapter 20 when Sham is welcomed back to Gog Magog: “He stooped down and pressed his hand against Sham’s white spot. At last Sham was being honored according to his merits! At last things were as they ought to be!” (151). In the last chapter, the spot explains why Agba isn’t surprised when Sham’s sons win their races at Newmarket: “Did not Cade, like Regulus, have Sham’s blood flowing in his veins? Was he not sired by the King of the Wind? Did he not have the white spot on his heel?” (161). This final appearance of the symbol is especially significant because the Godolphin Arabian’s fame stems from the remarkable line of swift racehorses that descend from him.
The Wheat Ear
The wheat ear-shaped pattern on Sham’s chest symbolizes misfortune. Signor Achmet is the first character to notice the “cross-graining of hairs closely resembling a ripened beard of wheat” on the foal’s chest (35), and he intends to kill the newborn Sham before Agba intervenes because he fears that “[i]ll luck will hang low over the royal stables” if the horse lives (35). The wheat ear’s influence is cited when unfortunate events occur throughout the novel, beginning with the death of Sham’s mother when the colt is only a few days old.
For the protagonist, the symbol of misfortune offers an explanation of the frequent displacements and downturns in fortune that he and Sham experience despite the stallion’s magnificent qualities. For example, Agba recalls the ill omen when Mr. Coke sends him and Sham to the Red Lion Inn and when the Earl of Godolphin’s groom, Twickerham, banishes them to Wicken Fen: “He thought of the wheat ear and unconsciously began tracing the swirling hairs on Sham’s chest” (143). Significantly, the symbol’s appearances highlight not only the misfortune the characters experience but also connect to the theme of Perseverance Through Displacement and Adversity. For example, Agba maintains a hopeful attitude during a bitter winter in the marsh by telling himself that the “power of the wheat ear cannot last” (146). Henry uses the symbol of the wheat ear to illustrate the protagonist’s resilience and emphasize that the Godolphin Arabian overcomes great odds to find success.
Silence and Voice
Agba’s speech disability is one of the most significant motifs in King of the Wind. His inability to speak makes him vulnerable to abuse and dismissal, such as when the sultan nearly kills him for failing to answer a question or when Mrs. Williams accuses him of theft at the Red Lion Inn. At these moments, silence symbolizes the precarious position of a powerless child whose worth is constantly misread by others. Yet silence also acquires a positive meaning in the story. Agba’s quiet devotion to Sham becomes a form of communication, as when the boy calms the horse with “soft sounds” after their separation in Paris, and Sham responds with recognition (87). Their mutual understanding demonstrates that loyalty and action can speak more eloquently than words.
The motif also develops through the destruction and recovery of Sham’s pedigree. When the jailer tears the document apart, it symbolizes an erasure of voice and lineage. The duchess and the earl’s intervention to restore the bag and amulets functions as a symbolic restoration of voice for both horse and boy. The narrative’s closing sequence continues this motif: Sham cannot “speak” for himself at Newmarket, but his sons’ victories articulate his legacy in the most powerful terms. Likewise, the queen’s gift of a feather makes his recognition visible to all, turning silence into presence. By elevating silence into a symbol of both vulnerability and dignity, Henry underscores the theme that worth is not measured by speech but by resilience, loyalty, and the ability to endure misjudgment until truth is revealed.
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