A Touch of Darkness

The souls of Asphodel gift Persephone a crown after she spends time in the Underworld trying to grow her garden and getting to know the people who live in Hades’s realm. The crown is floral in nature, displaying roses, lilies, and narcissus blooms. Both the crown and the flowers carry important symbology. Roses represent love and are associated with Aphrodite, thus representing the love of Hades and the souls for Persephone and foreshadowing Aphrodite’s role in their relationship. Lilies in Greek mythos represent rebirth and motherhood and are associated with Hera, the wife of Zeus. While Hera does not appear in the novel, Persephone experiences a metaphoric rebirth as she grows away from her mother. The narcissus flower is the flower of Hades’s domain, tying the crown to the Underworld.

The crown is representative of Persephone’s status in the Underworld. The souls grow to respect her as they would a queen, even outside her relationship with Hades. They make the crown without consulting Hades, in adoration of her kindness and attention to them. Hades confirms this at the novel’s conclusion, telling her “My people will always see you as their mistress because of how you have treated them, whether you love me or not” (378).