Upon completion of the novel, I have come to ponder the exclusive relationship that Estraven and Ai had. I’d like to first outline the sequence of their relationship throughout the novel, the way I saw it. The story begins with the two meeting, an authority figure(Estraven) and a stranger(Ai). It is clear that there is an explicit sense of distrust between the two people. Their interactions in the early chapters highlight wariness and suspicion among various other emotions. Then comes the separation. As Estraven is exiled, and Ai finds himself traveling the world of Winter, the two are found unable to interact with each other. Instead, Ai is exposed to the various other people groups and individuals of this new world.

I feel that this exposure played a large role in Ai’s ultimate acceptance of Estraven as a friend. The various personalities he has encountered such as the king, the council at Orgoreyn, the Foretellers, and even the people at the Farm indirectly allowed Ai to understand and accept Estraven better, once they were reunited. Their travel to Karhide after the escape from the prison, I felt, was the pinnacle of their relationship. It is without a doubt that characters are often brought together by suffering. The companionship experienced by the two as they traveled along the harsh conditions brought the two people together like never before. As they continue to struggle through, their relationship becomes stronger, and ultimately becomes one of mutual trust.

The death of Estraven solidifies the extent to which their relationship has developed. It was clear by Ai’s actions and thoughts as Estraven died that, Ai did indeed develop an incredibly close relationship with Estraven. I always found the development of relationships between characters to be the one of the most compelling elements of fiction novels. The relationship between Ai and Estraven was particularly interesting to think about as it developed throughout the whole novel.