“It happened many years ago, before the traders and missionaries first came into the South Seas, while the Polynesians were still great in numbers and fierce of heart. But even today the people of Hikueru sing this story in their chants and tell it over the evening fires.” 

The novel both begins and ends with these lines, underscoring the important place Mafatu’s story holds in Polynesian culture. Sperry establishes the novel’s geographical and cultural setting from the beginning, and his acknowledgement of Mafatu’s story as a folktale suggests that it may be based on a true story. His recognition that the story happened before outsiders came to Polynesia suggests that the presence of traders and missionaries contributed to diminishing Polynesian culture and populations. 

“There was only courage. A man who was afraid—what place had he in their midst? And the boy Mafatu—son of Tavana Nui, the Great Chief of Hikueru—always had been afraid.” 

Sperry establishes the main conflict and the novel’s great irony: Mafatu is known for his fear in a culture that worships courage. His identity as a coward conflicts with his culture. Mafatu’s problem is a relatable one: Many people struggle to feel a sense of belonging within a school, family, community, or culture. 

“The boy learned to turn these jibes aside, but his father’s silence shamed him.” 

Mafatu can bear the mockery of his stepbrothers but cannot stand to know his father is disappointed in him. Mafatu’s motivation for leaving the island stems from this shame. Even while Mafatu is away on his quest, he constantly thinks of his father and decides he will not return until he can make Tavana Nui proud.