The Sword of Summer

“I don’t steal from just anybody. I choose obnoxious jerks who have too much already. If you’re driving a new BMW and you park it in a handicapped spot without a disabled placard, then yeah, I’ve got no problem jimmying your window and taking some change from your cup holder. If you’re coming out of Barneys with your bag of silk handkerchiefs, so busy talking on your phone and pushing people out of your way that you’re not paying attention, I am there for you, ready to pickpocket your wallet. If you can afford five thousand dollars to blow your nose, you can afford to buy me dinner.” 

These lines from Magnus’s narration show how living on the streets and living to survive influence his outlook on “right” and “wrong.” Magnus has no problem taking from people who have more than they need, and he lumps Randolph into this category because Randolph has a mansion and money. These lines also foreshadow how Magnus later comes to realize he and Loki are not so different.

“Okay, yes. My mom called me pumpkin. Go ahead and laugh. As I got older, it embarrassed me, but that was while she was still alive. Now I’d give anything to hear her call me pumpkin again.” 

Magnus thinks this following a memory of his mother calling him “pumpkin,” and the statement shows the difference in Magnus from before to after his mother’s death. He was 14 years old when his mother died, and the nickname caused embarrassment for teenage Magnus. After her death, the nickname became one of the countless things he misses about his mother. The difference of opinion shows how death influences our beliefs about things and how an event’s significance changes when we can no longer experience it.

“You’re one of the einherjar now. […] We’re the chosen of Odin, soldiers in his eternal army. The word einherjar is usually translated as lone warriors, but that doesn’t really capture the meaning. It’s more like...the once warriors—the warriors who fought bravely in the last life and will fight bravely again on the Day of Doom.” 

Hunding’s explanation of the einherjar and their purpose illustrates Magnus’s new life within the afterlife. In addition to dying in battle, Magnus gave up one fight (the fight for survival on the streets) for another one (the preparation for and eventual battle of Ragnarok). These lines show how the resolution of a conflict leads to the next challenge.