In "The Hollow Hills", the theme is that power can change its owner. Stewart uses many devices to make her point clear, including characterization, dialogue, and imagery.

Stewart applied characterization to demonstrate how power changes people. Merlin thought that, "Kingship had steadied [Uther]; I could see only discipline in his face, as well as lines drawn there by passion and temper, and kingship along with victories clothed him with a cloak" (99). Uther's power defined him. He would not have been kingly if he had been born into a peasant family. Even Merlin confessed that Uther's new authority had altered him. However, Uther did retain certain attributes, such as his temper and passion. Power changed Ygraine, although not in a good way. "Where before she had seemed young and burning, a wild bird beating her wings against the wires of the cage, she now seemed to brood, wings

Dialogue can show how a character reacts to an event or how brave they are. Stewart used dialogue to show what Merlin and other characters thought about a situation. Merlin said, "I had power that day; I dreamed I held the whole world cupped in my hands" (33). Merlin realized that his power was fragile, that it could break at any moment and leave him defenseless. When Ygraine spoke to Merlin about sending her child away she said, "[Uther said] that if this child is boy, the King will not allow me to rear him. If it's a girl I may keep her, but a boy so begotten cannot be acknowledged as a prince and heir, so he must not remain her, even as a bastard" (75). Uther had power over Ygraine, even though she did not like it. Uther had the authority to send Ygraine's only child, and Uther's only heir away. This power changed her; it made her bitter to the world.

Power even changed Merlin. Merlin had always taken his power for granted, but when he

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Approximate Word count = 637
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)