Story
This curious girl is the story’s protagonist, who questions the Elders’ warnings about the “whistling gods.”
Nata
This vast, dangerous environment surrounds the settlement and is believed to be home to deadly beings.
She is the bold and curious protagonist who dares to question her community's long-held beliefs.
This type of conflict drives the story, as Nata begins to question the rules of her society.
Character vs Society
This character, the Chief’s son, joins Nata on her journey into the forbidden dunes.
Tase
The community in the story lives in this kind of isolated area, cut off from the outside world.
Settlement
This boy, the son of the Chief, joins Nata on her dangerous journey into the dunes.
Tase
Nata’s main internal conflict centers around her desire for truth versus her fear of this consequence
Death/Punishment
According to the Elders, these dangerous beings roam the dunes and punish those who leave the settlement.
Whistling gods
These natural landforms dominate the landscape and create the eerie sounds feared by the people.
Dunes
This group of older figures enforces the rules and spreads fear of the whistling gods to maintain control.
The Elders
The Elders use the myth of these beings to discourage exploration and maintain control.
Whistling Gods
This natural phenomenon is revealed to be the true source of the “whistling” once believed to be supernatural.
Wind blowing through the sands
The settlement’s isolation is reinforced by the belief that this place beyond its borders is deadly and forbidden.
Outside world
Nata is inspired by this missing family member, who once defied the rules and disappeared into the dunes.
Nata's Mother
Nata and Tasé face this external conflict when they leave the settlement and must survive in a dangerous, unfamiliar environment.
Character vs Nature
This theme, shown through Nata’s discovery and rebellion, explores how authority uses fear and myth to maintain control.
Power/knowledge
The story suggests that the setting was once part of this type of advanced civilization, now lost to time.
Modern Civilization
This character holds a leadership role in the community and is Tasé’s parent.
The Chief
This larger societal issue is symbolized by the Elders hiding the truth about the dunes and controlling information.
Abusing Power