A Snake Falls to Earth

Many characters within A Snake Falls to Earth disguise their true identity. The motif reflects these characters’ adaptation to the world around them while also symbolizing the power imbalance between humans and the animal people. Nina’s grandmother tells her, “When humans became the most dangerous species on Earth, the false forms adapted. Like butterfly spots resemble owl eyes, to mimic a dangerous hunter” (49). The animal people use their disguises from a position of disadvantage, hiding among creatures who wish to kill them.

It isn’t just animal people who wear disguises. Paul, the Nightmare Knight who pretends to be an ordinary person, also wears a disguise. Animal people’s false forms have traits that mark them as not human; the coyote sisters have furry hands and claws, Brightest has wings for ears, and Oli has scaly brows. However, Paul’s “false form,” that of a harmless neighbor, looks exactly like his “true form,” a murderer. When Nina’s grandmother tells her why animal people assume the forms of humans, Nina remarks, “That’s an iffy solution, considering how often we hurt each other” (49). This is what makes humans so dangerous compared to the animal people; their ability to camouflage their true intentions.