The issue of identity is a prominent aspect of Kristen Cashore’s novel, Graceling. Not only is Katsa’s existence somewhat problematic as her Grace is rather destructive, but her fate is determined by her uncle who robs her of the ability to define her purpose in life. Katsa’s Grace allows her to be an excellent fighter. Unfortunately, until Katsa was able to harness her Grace properly, she ended up killing some people, prompting her to believe that she was a monster. Moreover, the fact that her uncle has enlisted her as a soldier of sorts does not aid in the process of self-discovery that all teens must go through. From my research on gifted children, there are children whose talents are exploited for the benefit of organizations or leaders. Katsa is gifted in the sense that she has an extraordinary ability and her uncle capitalizes on her talent, disregarding her wishes. In Katsa’s case, the emotional abuse that stems from this exploitation results in confusion and self-deprecation. Additionally, Katsa challenges traditional gender expectations. Females are often associated with being subservient individuals whose purpose is to be a mother and wife. Katsa finds this idea to be repulsive and intends to remain single despite the disproval she faces by most of the men in her life. The following passage from Chapter 7 illustrates Katsa’s desire to remain single and the criticism she encounters:

“Lord Davit,” she said, “have you a wife?”

He shook his head. “It’s the only thing my estate lacks, My Lady.”

Katsa kept her eyes on her venison and carrots. “My uncle is very disappointed in me, because I intend never to marry.”

Lord Davit paused, and then spoke. “I doubt your uncle is the only man who finds that disappointing.”

As one can see, Katsa rejects the idea of marriage, abandoning the classic gender roles of the time. While the world Katsa lives in is fictional, the idea of a teenager going against classic ideologies could definitely have an impact on the readers of this novel. Perhaps an adolescent who does not want to get married would finally feel like their feelings were normal after reading this novel; or maybe a teenager would decide that it was actually alright to remain single throughout their life.