Lalani of the Distant Sea

The arrowhead udyo is Fei Diwata’s talisman. It symbolizes her power over nature and relates to the theme of The Power in Smallness. The arrowhead fits into the palm of a person’s hand. For those foolish enough to judge an object by its size, it seems to hold no power. Throughout the novel, Lalani minimizes the value of small things. She sees herself as a tiny, weak creature, yet Fei Diwata is even smaller than she is. When Ellseth first shows her the arrowhead, she assumes it is useless because of its size. Later, once she arrives on Isa, she defends herself many times with the arrowhead, using it to fend off the dangerous creatures that inhabit the island.

When Bai-Vinca attacks, Lalani is cornered inside a tree trunk with Usoa. Her first thought is how useless the little arrowhead is. While Lalani is fixated on this, Usoa takes a small piece of tree bark and uses it to stake Bai-Vinca, showing that small things have enough power to kill. When Fei Diwata asks Lalani if she has the guardian’s udyo, the girl still doesn’t recognize the power she is carrying in the pouch around her neck.