Tradition vs. Modernity in The Ex Hex: Theme Analysis

The Central Tension: Honoring the Past Without Being Trapped by It

In The Ex Hex, the clash between tradition and modernity is not a simple either/or. The novel argues that rigid adherence to inherited magical customs—or wholesale rejection of them—leads to stagnation and harm, while a flexible, adaptive approach that honors the past without being enslaved by it allows individuals and communities to thrive. This theme plays out through Vivi's struggle to balance her academic career with her witchy heritage, Rhys's reluctant submission to his family's ceremonial duties, and the town's collective crisis when the ley lines—the very foundation of Graves Glen's magical tradition—become corrupted. By the end, the characters do not choose one side; they forge a hybrid path that respects the old while embracing the new.

The Curse as a Modern Ritual Gone Wrong

The novel opens with a deliberate subversion of ritual. In the prologue, Vivi and Gwyn, heartbroken and drunk, improvise a mock curse on Rhys around a salt circle, making playful wishes. They treat magic as a joke, a way to vent frustration rather than a serious act. This is modernity's casual relationship with tradition: magic has become something to dabble in, not to revere. The salt circle, a traditional protective and summoning tool, is used flippantly, and the consequences are catastrophic. The flame flares, windows slam, and the curse takes hold—proving that even a half-hearted, modernized ritual carries real power. This moment establishes that tradition cannot be dismissed without consequence, but it also critiques the way modern witches like Gwyn and Vivi have become disconnected from the gravity of their craft.

The tension deepens in Chapter 3, where Gwyn's shop, Something Wicked, thrives on the modern commercialization of witchcraft. Gwyn boasts about selling a hundred sets of tarot cards in a month, and Elaine's business has grown through online orders. Tarot cards, once a serious divination tool, are now marketed as self-care accessories. Vivi, meanwhile, has chosen a modern, stable life as a history professor at Penhaven College, deliberately distancing herself from the family's witchy business. She loves her office, her students, and the feeling of safety that academia provides. This is a clear rejection of the traditional path her aunt and cousin have taken—yet Vivi's own magic remains dormant, and she is unaware of the curse she unleashed. The novel thus sets up a world where tradition is either commodified or abandoned, and neither approach is sustainable.

Tradition as Duty vs. Modern Choice

Rhys Penhallow embodies the weight of inherited obligation. In Chapter 2, his father Simon summons him to Penhaven and orders him to return to Graves Glen for the town's founding anniversary, explaining that every twenty-five years a Penhallow must strengthen the ley lines. This is a rigid, ancient duty, passed down through generations. Rhys resists—he has built a modern life as the owner of Penhallow Tours, a ten-person operation—but he ultimately complies, seeing it as an unavoidable burden. His father's criticism of Rhys's 'frivolous life in England' highlights the generational conflict: Simon represents the old ways, demanding unquestioning obedience, while Rhys represents a modern world where personal choice and career matter. Yet Rhys's compliance is not purely dutiful; he also harbors unresolved feelings for Vivi, making his return both a traditional obligation and a personal choice.

The novel complicates this binary by showing that tradition can be oppressive. Simon's arranged betrothal for Rhys, revealed in the prologue, is a prime example of patriarchal tradition overriding individual desire. Rhys's concealment of this arrangement from Vivi is what led to their breakup nine years earlier. Thus, tradition is not just a source of power but also a source of pain. Conversely, modernity offers freedom—Vivi's career, Rhys's business—but it also breeds detachment. The curse, after all, was born from a modern, casual attitude toward magic. The novel suggests that neither extreme works.

Reclaiming Heritage: The Jones Witches Take Back the Lines

The climax of the novel offers a powerful synthesis. When the curse corrupts the ley lines, Vivi, Gwyn, and Elaine must work together to restore them. In Chapter 33, Vivi realizes that the ley lines were not solely Penhallow magic—her own ancestor Aelwyd contributed to them. She declares, 'So fuck Gryffud Penhallow. The Jones Witches are taking this back.' This is a modern, defiant reclamation of tradition. Vivi does not reject the ley lines; she embraces them, but on her own terms, asserting her family's rightful place in the magical history of Graves Glen. She uses traditional methods—holding hands, forming a circle, invoking her ancestor—but infuses them with contemporary language and a personal sense of agency. The ritual succeeds because it honors the past (Aelwyd's sacrifice) while adapting it to the present (Vivi's leadership).

This moment also resolves the earlier tension between Vivi's academic life and her witchy heritage. She has spent the novel trying to keep these worlds separate, but the crisis forces her to integrate them. Her knowledge of history and folklore, gained through her modern education, proves essential in understanding the ley lines and the curse. In the end, she does not quit her job; she expands it, taking on teaching roles in the folklore department. She becomes a bridge between the old and the new.

Symbols of Tension: Ley Lines and the Eurydice Candle

The ley lines are the novel's central symbol of tradition. They are an ancient magical infrastructure, laid by Rhys's ancestor Gryffud Penhallow, that sustains the town. When corrupted by the curse, they become 'murky with corruption, thick and sluggish,' reflecting how a neglected or abused tradition can poison a community. The restoration of the ley lines requires both the old (Aelwyd's spirit) and the new (Vivi's modern determination). The Eurydice Candle, another traditional object, is subverted by Tamsyn, a modern entrepreneur who sells haunted candles for profit. Tamsyn represents the commodification of tradition—she has no magical ability, only a business sense. The candle, meant to trap spirits, becomes a tool of exploitation, and its malfunction (radiating cold and darkness) symbolizes what happens when tradition is stripped of its meaning and used solely for gain. Vivi and Rhys must retrieve the candle and perform a proper ritual to free Piper's ghost, restoring the object's intended purpose.

Complexity: When Tradition and Modernity Collide

The novel refuses to paint either side as wholly good or bad. Simon Penhallow's rigid traditionalism is harmful, but the Penhallow family's duty to the ley lines is genuinely necessary. Tamsyn's modern greed is destructive, but Vivi's modern career gives her the skills to solve the crisis. Even the curse itself is a product of both: it stems from Rhys's father's traditional arranged marriage, which drove Vivi to curse him, but the curse is cast in a modern, irreverent way. The novel suggests that the problem is not tradition or modernity per se, but the failure to adapt. Tradition must evolve to remain meaningful; modernity must respect the roots it grows from.

The ending reinforces this synthesis. Rhys moves to Graves Glen, takes a teaching position at the college (a modern institution), and declares his love for Vivi. Vivi proposes they split time between Wales and Graves Glen, acknowledging that both their worlds matter. They do not abandon their respective traditions—Rhys remains a Penhallow, Vivi remains a Jones witch—but they create a new, flexible arrangement. This is the novel's answer: not a rejection of the past, but a reimagining of it.

Study Questions

1. How does the prologue's mock ritual establish the theme of tradition vs. modernity?

Answer: The prologue shows Vivi and Gwyn using a traditional salt circle and candle in a drunken, playful manner, treating magic as a joke. This modern, casual approach to ritual has real consequences, as the curse takes hold and wreaks havoc. It suggests that dismissing tradition outright is dangerous, while also critiquing the characters' lack of reverence for their craft.

1. In what ways does Vivi's career as a history professor represent modernity, and how does it conflict with her witchy heritage?

Answer: Vivi's job at Penhaven College offers stability, safety, and a sense of identity separate from her family's witchy business. She loves her office, her students, and the academic environment. This conflicts with her heritage because she deliberately avoids the family shop and the magical world, yet her magic is still part of her. The novel shows that this separation is unsustainable, as the curse forces her to integrate both aspects of her life.

1. How does Rhys's relationship with his father Simon illustrate the oppressive side of tradition?

Answer: Simon demands Rhys fulfill the Penhallow duty to charge the ley lines, criticizing his modern lifestyle. He also arranged a betrothal for Rhys without his consent, which led to Rhys's breakup with Vivi. This shows tradition as a patriarchal, controlling force that overrides personal choice and emotional well-being.

1. What role does the Eurydice Candle play in the theme, and how does Tamsyn's use of it represent modern commodification?

Answer: The Eurydice Candle is a traditional magical object used to trap spirits. Tamsyn, a non-witch, buys and sells these candles for profit, hoping to make thousands from a single sale. Her exploitation of the candle—and her lie to Vivi and Rhys to get them to trap Piper's ghost—shows how modern capitalism can strip tradition of its meaning, turning sacred objects into commodities. The candle's malfunction (radiating cold and darkness) symbolizes the corruption that results from this misuse.

1. How does the novel's ending propose a resolution to the tradition-modernity conflict?

Answer: The ending shows Rhys moving to Graves Glen and taking a teaching position, while Vivi continues her academic career and also embraces her magical heritage. They agree to split time between Wales and Graves Glen, integrating both worlds. This hybrid solution honors tradition (their respective family legacies) while embracing modernity (their careers and personal choices), suggesting that the two can coexist when adapted to each other.