The Vaster Wilds Chapter 21: A Godless Void and the Memory of Joy

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The girl, alone and near death, feels the approach of her end. She contemplates the concept of redemption and concludes there is no god to provide it. Instead, she perceives existence as a nothing, an abscess, a great teeming hole. This nothingness, she realizes, is what the men of her own country always felt deep within them—a twisting void that deformed them into terrible, frightened, loud, and hungry beings. This internal emptiness drove their need to dominate everything they encountered. As death rushes toward her, the girl recalls the ghost of the glassblower, who seems to sit beside her. Her mind turns to memories of the child Bess before she awakened each day: the delicate eyelashes, the blue veins on her eyelids, the sigh, and the opening of eyes that sharpened out of sleep, reflecting pleasure at seeing the girl’s own face. The girl recognizes that Bess, in her “crystalline wisdom,” understood what the wise never could: there is no fight in this world, only submission.

Key Events

The girl concludes that no god exists to grant redemption.
She characterizes existence as a void, an abscess, a hole.
She reflects on how the men of her country internalized this nothingness, becoming twisted and violent, driven to subjugate all they see.
The approach of death becomes palpable to her.
The ghost of the glassblower appears beside her.
She vividly recalls the morning ritual of watching Bess awaken.
She meditates on Bess’s unique knowledge that submission, not fighting, is the only way in this world.

Character Development

The girl: Reaches a state of existential despair, abandoning hope for divine redemption. Her reflections link systemic colonial violence to a psychological void. Yet her memory of Bess remains tender, revealing a lingering capacity for love. She shows resignation, accepting submission as the only truth.
The ghost of the glassblower: Appears as a comforting presence, though his role is briefly glimpsed. His spectral return suggests the ongoing weight of past relationships on the girl’s psyche.
Bess (in memory): Represents a pure, unspoiled wisdom. Her simple joy at seeing the girl’s face becomes a beacon of meaning in a godless universe.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The void: The nothingness at the core of existence is a central symbol. It is described as a “nought, an abscess, a great and teeming hole.” This void is not empty but teeming, suggesting chaos and potential.
Colonial critique: The men’s internal nothingness is linked to their need to dominate, critiquing colonial expansion as a symptom of spiritual deformity.
Submission vs. fighting: Bess’s insight that “there could be no fight in this world, only submission” introduces a fatalistic wisdom, contrasting with the aggressive striving of the men.
Memory and love: The detailed memory of Bess awakening offers warmth and humanity against the cold nihilism of the void. The act of witnessing love is portrayed as a privilege.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 21 crystallizes the novel’s philosophical core. It strips away any remaining hope for a salvific god and instead presents a bleak universe where meaning must be found in fragile human connection. The critique of colonial masculinity is sharpened: violence arises from a spiritual emptiness. The girl’s final acceptance of submission prepares her for whatever comes in the final chapters. The chapter also deepens the significance of Bess, transforming her from a minor character into a vessel of profound truth.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does the girl’s view of the colonial men explain their behavior?
She believes they were born twisted around an inner nothingness, like a scar that deformed them. That internal void made them terrified and hungry, driving them to dominate everything they encountered as a way to cope with their own emptiness.

2. What does the memory of Bess awakening reveal about the girl’s state of mind?
In her final moments—or imagined final moments—the girl clings to a memory of pure, mutual love. Bess’s pleasure at seeing her face provides a stark contrast to the void, suggesting that genuine human affection is the only counterweight to nihilism.

3. Why does the girl conclude “there could be no fight in this world, only submission”?
After abandoning belief in a redeeming god, she sees that struggle—whether against death, nature, or other people—is futile. Bess’s “crystalline wisdom” understood this intuitively: resistance only perpetuates pain, while acceptance is the only path to peace.