In Pierce Brown's "Red Rising" trilogy, two important archetypes stand out: the threshold guardian and the ruler. The threshold guardian is a character who serves as an obstacle that the protagonist must overcome to achieve their goal, and the ruler is a character who has power and control over others. These two archetypes play an important role in showing how abusive corruption deprives worthy men and women of equal opportunities.
The threshold guardian archetype is exemplified in the Gold society of "Red Rising," where the Golds are the ruling class and hold all the power. The main character, Darrow, is a Red, one of the lower classes in society, who is forced to infiltrate the Golds to bring about change. Along the way, he faces many threshold guardians who serve to keep him in his place and prevent him from achieving his goal of toppling the corrupt system. These threshold guardians include the Sovereign, who rules the Golds with an iron fist, and the Obsidians, a fierce warrior
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The Sovereign is a cruel and ruthless ruler who has no regard for the lives of those under her control. She represents the abuse of power and the way that those in power will go to any lengths to maintain that power, even if it means depriving others of their rights and opportunities.
The theme of abusive corruption is further explored through the concept of the Colors, which represent the different social classes in society. The Golds are at the top of the social hierarchy, and they have all the power and privilege that comes with that status. The Reds, on the other hand, are at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and they are forced to work in dangerous mines to provide resources for the other Colors. This unequal distribution of power and opportunity is a clear example of how abusive corruption can deprive worthy men and women of equal