Symbols Slay Laurell K. Hamilton

The Penguin Necklace: Anita Blake’s Symbol of Self‑Definition in Slay

What Is the Penguin Necklace?

The king penguin necklace is a piece of jewelry Jean‑Claude commissioned for Anita. It is made from yellow gold, white gold, and black enamel, crafted to resemble a king penguin with accurate species markings. Notably, the original design used silver and gold, but Jean‑Claude had it remade in gold because most of their sweeties have a severe silver allergy. A single cognac diamond replaces the penguin’s eye, matching the brown eye King penguins have in real life. The necklace first appears at a crucial moment in the novel’s final chapters, when Anita dresses to meet her family after the defeat of Deimos.

Where the Necklace Appears in the Narrative

The necklace is introduced in Chapter 56 (after the death of Deimos and the healing of the Wicked Truth). Anita wakes in the Jefferson County house beside Jean‑Claude near dawn. Her family has arrived, and she must decide what to wear. She rejects the impulse to choose a deliberately ugly shirt to spite her family, realizing that dressing against them still lets them control her. Instead, she asks “What did I want? […] Not for my family or against my family, but just me.” She selects a black T‑shirt, black running shoes, and the king penguin necklace Jean‑Claude bought her. The scene is the only explicit description of the necklace in the provided evidence, but it is a pivotal symbol in the story’s resolution.

Later, in Chapter 57 (the confrontation with Grandma Blake), the idea of penguins recurs in the form of stuffed toy penguins in the bedroom. When Grandma Blake tries to kill Jean‑Claude with sunlight, Pierette traps the grandmother in a pile of those toys. While the necklace is not mentioned again in that scene, the toy penguins echo the necklace’s motif, reinforcing the theme of protection and love that the necklace represents.

How the Symbol’s Meaning Changes

The necklace begins as a gift of love and attention to detail. Jean‑Claude spent the extra effort to have the piece remade from the original design, accommodating his lovers’ allergies and ensuring the penguin was anatomically correct—a detail that pleases the biologist in Anita. It is a token of his care and his acceptance of her whole identity, including her profession and her polyamorous family.

At the moment Anita puts it on, the necklace transforms into a declaration of independence. For years, she has struggled with her family’s expectations—her grandmother’s religious condemnation, her father’s judgment, and her stepsister’s condescension. In the airport scene at the beginning of the novel, Anita’s family criticizes her appearance and her relationships. Dressing to appease or to rebel would both cede control to them. By choosing something that she truly loves, Anita reclaims her own agency. The necklace becomes a tangible emblem of the identity she has built apart from her family—one that includes vampires, wereanimals, polyamory, and her own hard‑won self‑acceptance.

Connections to Character and Theme

  • Anita Blake (Character Page): The necklace directly expresses Anita’s growth throughout the series. Earlier Anita would have either hidden herself in bland clothes or deliberately dressed poorly to spite her family. Now she chooses for herself, demonstrating the self‑assurance she has developed. The fact that she picks a gift from Jean‑Claude also shows how deeply her chosen family (her lovers and friends) have become part of her core identity.

  • Jean‑Claude (Character Page): The necklace is a gift he designed with her in mind—not just as a beautiful object but as one that respects her expertise (the accurate species markings) and her community (no silver). It reflects his long‑standing pattern of loving her for exactly who she is, down to the details.

  • Family Conflict and Reconciliation Theme (Theme Page): The necklace is the catalyst for Anita’s internal resolution of family tension. She doesn’t reject her family; she rejects letting their opinions dictate her choices. This aligns with the broader theme of reconciling with family on one’s own terms, as seen later when Anita presses charges against her grandmother while still maintaining a relationship with her siblings.

  • Identity and Self‑Definition Theme (Theme Page): The necklace is the lodestone of this theme. Anita’s decision process—rejecting both defiance and compliance—is a textbook example of self‑definition. The fact that the necklace is a penguin, a creature from her professional world (biology/vampire hunting), anchors her identity in her own interests rather than family approval.

  • Trust and Betrayal Theme (Theme Page): Jean‑Claude’s trust is demonstrated by his willingness to let Anita see his “imperfection” (less‑styled hair) that morning. She returns that trust by wearing his gift as a badge of her autonomy. Later, the grandmother’s betrayal of hospitality and family trust contrasts sharply with the safe, trustworthy bond the necklace represents.

  • Healing and Sacrifice Theme (Theme Page): The necklace is worn after Anita has healed the Wicked Truth and after Jean‑Claude has sacrificed the ardeur to purge Deimos’s influence. It marks the beginning of a period of healing for everyone involved—Anita’s family, her lovers, and herself.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Anita specifically choose the king penguin necklace over other jewelry?

Answer: Anita wants to wear something that pleases her, not something chosen to impress or defy her family. The necklace is a gift from Jean‑Claude that makes her “incredibly happy” because it is an accurate representation of the species, satisfying her biologist side. It also accommodates the silver allergies of her lovers, showing that it was made with her whole life in mind. Choosing it is an act of self‑affirmation.

2. How does the necklace reflect the central conflict between Anita and her family?

Answer: The conflict revolves around Anita’s polyamorous lifestyle and her relationship with Jean‑Claude, which her grandmother views as damnation. By wearing a love token from Jean‑Claude at the very moment her family arrives, Anita openly asserts that her choices are valid and that she will not hide or change to fit their expectations. The necklace becomes a visual statement that her identity is not up for debate.

3. What does the detail about the remade necklace (from silver to gold) tell you about Jean‑Claude’s character?

Answer: It shows Jean‑Claude’s thoughtfulness and his commitment to Anita’s happiness. He bought the original design and had it remade specifically to avoid silver, which would cause allergic reactions in their wereanimal lovers. This demonstrates that he considers the entire “family” in his gestures, not just Anita, and that he is willing to invest time and money to get the details right.

4. How does the imagery of penguins (the necklace and the stuffed toys) reinforce the story’s themes?

Answer: Penguins are monogamous and known for enduring harsh conditions, which parallels Anita’s own commitment to her partners and her survival against enemies like Deimos. The stuffed toys that trap Grandma Blake during her attack also connect penguins to protection—they are a soft, comical barrier against violence. Together, the necklace (chosen freely) and the stuffed animals (used to restrain harm) suggest that love and home can be both gentle and powerful forces.