The Golden Goblet

While Ranofer works to expose Gebu’s crime, he also acts to free himself from Gebu’s control. As he experiences self-doubt, confronts fears, and swings from hope to despair and back again, he grows in self-knowledge. Ultimately, Ranofer gains confidence and begins his transition to adult maturity. He shapes his life into a form he is proud of.

Ranofer has always been dependent on others. Under Thutra’s gentle tutelage, his future seemed bright and desirable: working with gold and studying under Zau. Ranofer’s dream of goldsmithing is crushed under Gebu’s abusive authority. He chafes under Gebu’s control but feels powerless to change things, hating that he is cowering "like a cringing puppy” (37) in Gebu’s presence.

Ranofer is profoundly aware of the power imbalance between himself and Gebu. He only dares small rebellions because they typically end in beatings. When he defies Gebu by refusing to take Ibni’s wineskin, he is “frightened but jubilant” (44), showing his desire to assert himself within his restrictive life. Ranofer comments that beatings and hunger are “worth it sometimes” (164) for the brief satisfaction of exercising independence and standing up to Gebu.

Ranofer’s great hopes for change initially rest on becoming self-sufficient, like the Ancient with his donkey, and later, on using the goblet to gain freedom from Gebu. He daydreams of freedom, of the day he will become a man and stand up to Gebu and be free. Zau charges Ranofer to “reshape [his] life into some other form” (131-32). Though desperate to do so, Zau’s advice seems impossible because of Ranofer's dependence on Gebu.

Becoming a stonecutting apprentice—the opposite of what Ranofer imagined for his future—negatively affects his dreams and sense of self. Although he promises himself he will be a goldsmith someday, his daydreams are offset by reality as time passes. Ranofer, comparing his injured, dirty hands to those of Zau, feels that he is now a “nobody.” He no longer likes himself; he has “fallen” from being a skilled person and feels like a stranger to himself. While his self-talk is negative, it also spurs him on to greater effort. Ranofer pushes out of his comfort zone to change his life, braving and overcoming his fears.

The Ancient observes that Ranofer is wise for his age, and Ranofer reveals his growing maturity in taking action. He solves the mystery of the goblet and Gebu’s crime. He takes charge of his destiny and takes responsibility for protecting others. Ranofer firmly believes that, though small and insignificant, he is the only one who can protect the bas and resting place of Queen Tiy’s gentle parents. This epiphany gives Ranofer confidence and fuels his final desperate acts of bravery. His actions change his life, setting him on a path to achieve long-term goals. He looks forward to telling Zau that he did indeed “reshape” his life into another, better form.

Friendless Ranofer grows rich in friendship by the end of The Golden Goblet. While facing everyday troubles and larger challenges, Ranofer learns that Heqet and the Ancient are truly golden friends. Part of his emotional maturation is discovering that a good friend is priceless. McGraw emphasizes the power of friendship to heal and support.

Like a turtle, Ranofer keeps a defensive shell around himself. He tamps down his dreams of goldwork, suppresses his skill, and keeps his emotions inside. Ranofer’s first meeting with Heqet is fraught, as he struggles to protect himself from Heqet’s questions, which arouse unhappy emotions. Ranofer also wrestles with his pride: He is initially jealous of Heqet, who is “rich in prospects” (20), like Ranofer himself used to be.

Although Ranofer pushes Heqet away, he is lonely and desperately wants a friend. He chastises himself for his rudeness toward Heqet, aware that he has acted this way “too often” toward other potential friends. Fortunately, Heqet is undeterred; he greets Ranofer first the next day, and Ranofer “eagerly” returns the greeting. When Heqet shrewdly stops asking questions, Ranofer is thankful that “we shall be friends after all” (52).

Heqet displays all the qualities of a great friend. He trusts Ranofer about the wineskins, and in turn, earns Ranofer’s trust. Heqet’s jokes and enthusiasm lift Ranofer’s spirits and increase his confidence and self-esteem. Ranofer notes, “It was impossible to stay in a shell with Heqet around, and it was impossible to feel altogether gloomy” (107). Heqet actively listens to him and treats him as an equal, even though in their early near-fight, Ranofer pridefully—and erroneously—thinks Heqet is treating him as an inferior.

Heqet and the Ancient provide a sounding board for Ranofer’s problems. With Heqet’s friendship, Ranofer feels “a knot untie somewhere inside him” (107). Heqet allows Ranofer to verbalize his negative feelings with someone he trusts. Talking through problems with his friend helps lessen Ranofer’s stress, isolation, and emotional pain. The Ancient also guides Ranofer by offering a more experienced life perspective. Their combined friendship helps broaden Ranofer’s outlook on life, bringing him out of his shell and into himself.

Heqet is attentive to his friend’s moods. He notices Ranofer’s behavior change after he discovers the goblet and worries that Ranofer is again retreating into his shell. Ranofer’s guilt at not sharing the goblet’s secret reveals how much his friends mean to him. He feels that he is not living up to their friendship by not returning the trust they extended to him. Knowing now how precious friendship is, Ranofer is miserable at the thought of being alone again. Heqet, ever tactful, is understanding. He does not judge Ranofer but instead urges him to share his troubles so that he can help.

Heqet and the Ancient show the extent of their friendship when they forgo the festival and loyally follow Ranofer into the Valley. The journey is arduous for both, and the possibility of battling Gebu and Wenamon could lead to their deaths, but neither hesitates. Their actions show Ranofer the true value of friendship. The danger he exposes his “dearest friends” to goads him to even greater lengths to find help. The joy they all display as they hurry to reunite at the novel’s end perfectly expresses McGraw’s theme of the power of friendship.