Skellig | Quotes

At the very beginning of the novel, Michael believes Skellig is dead. This, along with Dr. Death and Ernie Myers's toilet, foreshadows that a confrontation with death is imminent for Michael.

Mina's dialogue helps establish that she is very different from Michael's public school friends, Leakey and Coot. Here, she explains to Michael why it is important to use more than just his eyes and ears to explore the world. Mina coming into Michael's life at just the right moment changes him profoundly.

Mum says this in answer to Michael's question about the purpose of shoulder blades, the same question he asks his science teacher, Rasputin. Skellig could either be a creature of evolution or an angelic being. However, by the end of the novel it is clear that he is a little bit of both.

This idea represents Mina's philosophy of learning. It is reflected in William Blake's poetry as well.

Mina and Michael's dreams intersect. The blur of truth and dreams in the novel also supports the idea that there is a spiritual aspect to life interwoven with physical reality.

Mina is describing the qualities of owlets while they are eating live prey. They are mysterious, beautiful, and savage—much like Skellig himself.

Mina is excited about exploring the world at night, and finds it natural to visit Skellig and the owls long after midnight.

With this statement Mina is helping Michael to accept the fact that his sister's illness simply happened; there is no answer to the question "Why?"

Not only are Michael and Mina able to tap into each other's dreams, but Mum and Dad are also shown to have strong intuition. In the 1990s when Skellig was written and published, Jungian theories of the collective unconscious as well as universal patterns and interrelatedness were popular.

Michael is overwhelmed by his own emotions and wishes he could be as detached as Skellig in this moment.

Michael reflects on the story of Persephone struggling up from the underworld and sees it as a metaphor for his sister's struggle to stay alive and regain her health.

Mina's mom says this as she is cutting apart a pomegranate. The seeds are symbolic of the story of Persephone, but they are also a symbol for the infinite.

Mina sees spirit as housed within the human body, along with bones, muscles, and nerves.

Skellig, in one of his rare speeches, describes himself as part beast, part bird, part angel, and part human, confirming all at once the different impressions his character has made upon the reader. Skellig is perhaps a new creature formed through adaptation, but he is still otherworldly and spiritual.

Michael suggests naming the baby Persephone, but they finally choose a name that is short, sweet, and strong. The baby's name, Joy, is the very last word in the novel, suggesting that all the struggle life requires is ultimately worth all the happiness life can bring.