When Fantasy meets Epic to inspire personal growth.
It was late 2012 when I receved Rumo as a birthday present. I rovered through the text, sought on the clumsy illustrations and couldn’t help but be skeptic about the tome’s content. I couldn’t have been more wrong…
As I started reading, the story began to unfold right in front of my eyes. Yes, the characters are invented creatures that, sometimes, happen to be exilarant. Yet, the story has a lot of weight to it and inspiration for great reflection. As many stories, it starts with an Orphan. A small doglike creature, cared after, at first, by a population of friendly gnomes. The Orphan is a common thrope in literature. It connects with the sense of loneliness accompaning the understanding that, at some point we are going to be out in the world parenting ourselves. But this passage, this transition, from being a child to adult life isnt something easy and granted. For, just like in pinocchio, harry potter, the cycle of Prydain and more, the Orphan has to change several parenting figures and face numerous challenges before understanding who he really is. And Rumo is no exeption, as, just when the benevolent gnomes start taking care of him, they are raided by monocolus giants from a floating island. His parenting figures are kidnapped and so is him!
In captivity, they all regress in the impotence of a child state. That is up to the moment Rumo meets Smyke the SharkGrub. A not very strong individual but experienced, kunning and very much caring for his own life and well being. Smyke takes advantage of Rumo’s ingenuity and growing strength. Trains him and finally exorts the youngling in getting him out of the giant’s captivity. The small doglike creature, now bocomes a hero and with the newly acquired knowledge and skills, saves the day. Once. The story focuses on the search for identity that eventually we all face in our teen years. Following the scent of a silver string, Rumo has to understand if his life has a destiny, something he is but has to understand or if it is something he has control over and can shape through his actions and decisions. His main antagonist happens to be “General Tick Tock” the head of the Copper Killers. A band of mechanically agumented warriors who have lost all emotional attachments. The confrontation between the two is a great example of the everlasting struggle of mind over heart decisions. As the mechanichal warrior is pure wits and logic, it knows who it is. Yet, it’s armor isnt just something that makes it invulnerable, it also limits reality and the possibility of change thus growth.
Rumo on the other side, is pervaded by the uncertainty of a growing individual. Has his strengths but is still vulnerable. And it is that vulnerability finally letting Lara’s love in his heart thus prevailing on the foes. All while telling us the importance of confrontation with others. For no one is a lonely island, so strong to never need help, so weak not to deserve any. We grow by exploring our selves as much as we let others explore and share with us who we are.
It is finally about dropping our armor and accepting that, in order to be full and well rounded individuals, we need change, vulnerability, to rely on our wisdom as much as our emotions, fall in love, risk rejection, to let others welcome us in as much as welcoming others with unperishable trust. And yes, it all opens up to challenges, the possibility of delusion and risks. But in the end, you will grow and really learn how to navigate life. Shedding the cloak of the Orphan and finally becoming your own Self, able to make decisions and fulfill your own needs, in harmony and balance with those around you.
Did Rumo reach such goal? I’ll let you discover it in the book!
Booktrailer
Author: Giuseppe Perrotti, JUMP Team
