The Golden Goblet

Food and hunger are motifs that inform the novel’s themes of abuse, friendship, and courage. Ranofer’s hunger is a constant of his new life—along with beatings. Hunger causes physical and mental anguish. He rarely has enough to eat and frequently fantasizes about food. Ranofer’s hunger is evidence of Gebu’s neglect and abuse. Gebu uses food as a means of controlling Ranofer and making him dependent. Ranofer knows he cannot leave Gebu as much as he wishes to because he would starve. Gebu cruelly tells him he would be “sleeping in the dust of the streets, aye, and fighting the dogs for their leavings. Instead, you live comfortably on my bread” (36). Ironically, Ranofer’s life is brutally uncomfortable, and he eats almost nothing while Gebu indulges in hearty meals and spitefully locks away the food.

His hunger is a humiliating badge of physical abuse that he cannot hide: His ribs show, and his arms are clearly “undernourished.” Similarly, food is initially a source of shame to Ranofer. He is embarrassed that he has little to contribute to a midday meal. His anger when he thinks Heqet is giving him food out of pity nearly causes a fight.

Food also distinguishes Ranofer’s friendship with Heqet and the Ancient. Heqet begins their friendship by sharing his figs, a sign of his open, giving nature. Sharing a meal conveys a sense of brotherhood; it nurtures the body and the spirit. Once over his misplaced pride, Ranofer enjoys the midday meals where the combination of food and friendship lifts his spirits: He is “strengthened by the unaccustomed food and companionship” (117).

That Ranofer, “an always-hungry boy” (207), abandons the High Nile Festival is a sign to the Ancient that something is wrong and reveals Ranofer’s courage and strength of character. He forgoes this rare opportunity to enjoy unlimited food. Instead, he follows Gebu into the Valley. Ranofer frames what he believes is his impending death in the context of food, thinking, “The chances were slim that he would ever taste another honey cake” (198). His comment shows how dominant food—and the lack of it—is to his life and also reveals his sense of ethics: Doing the right thing takes precedence over his debilitating hunger. Even in the palace, Ranofer shows his strength of character, resisting the temptation of fruit and honey cakes before seeing the Queen and “turning away from the food,” though his “empty stomach growled dismally and saliva flooded his mouth” (236). His strength of will and courage are rewarded with a private feast.

Finding the goblet, Ranofer believes, is “the most important thing that ever happened” (173) in his life. To him, the goblet represents multiple things. It is a pinnacle of the goldwork he admires and aspires to: He thinks even Zau could not craft such an exquisite piece. Ranofer is sensitive to beauty, and the goblet affects him emotionally. He feels that “its beauty seemed to light the room” (246). Ranofer is protective toward the goblet, dreading the possibility that it will be sold and melted down, its beauty destroyed.

The goblet belonged to the honored Pharaoh Thutmose the Conqueror and was placed in his tomb to sustain him in the afterlife. It represents both gods and country, influences that Ranofer respects, and which help establish his sense of ethics. The goblet also represents the opportunity for his freedom. If he can prove Gebu’s guilt, Ranofer will be free from the man’s abuse and able to follow his dreams.

Finally, the golden goblet signifies Ranofer’s choice to do the right thing and Gebu’s decision to do the wrong thing. The goblet is a symbol of Ranofer’s courage and character. He puts himself at great risk not only for his freedom but because it is the moral thing to do. Gebu’s crimes, especially tomb robbing, are horrific both to Ranofer and Egyptian society.