Half Bad

Labels of one kind or another are constantly being foisted on Nathan. They symbolize attempts to define him and relate to the theme of Identity and Identification. The first example occurs shortly after Nathan’s birth when the Council issues an order to designate the witch status of various members of each magical household in the realm. Nathan’s status is quantified. He is called a Half Code because half of his genetic makeup is Fairborn, and the other half is Blood Witch. Thus, he is labeled B 0.5.

This label is constantly being evaluated as Nathan appears annually before the Council to answer questions. They wish to determine his status as a Fairborn but never succeed in doing so. Nathan is also labeled because he is the son of Marcus. According to Jessica, Marcus is evil incarnate, so his son must be just as bad. There is no basis for reaching this conclusion other than Jessica’s prejudice, but the label sticks until Nathan is old enough to judge for himself.

A more infamous labeling incident occurs when the O’Brien brothers carve two letters into Nathan’s back with a hunting knife. His right side bears the letter F, while the left displays B.