Nana's Sheep Sparknotes

In “Nanina’s Sheep” by Mary De Morgan, the theme; nature of evil reveals the power of temptation, and the influence that evil has on an individual. By disregarding her masters orders, Nanina travels to the old palace on the other side of the hill, where she dances, something that seems like a harmless act, but she is unable to stop, and each time loses a sheep. In the end, Nanina is left with no sheep, and must resist the temptation to dance with the help of a birch tree, in order to recover the flock. Through the use of light and dark imagery to connote the occurrence of negative events, as well as the use of colour archetypes, the author reveals the temptations of evil, and the influential power it has on an individual.
The use of light and dark imagery throughout "Nanina's Sheep" outlines the

After Nanina loses one of her sheep, she is hesitant to revisit the old palace, but every time the sun sets, Nanina's worry fades with the light, "she found that another lamb had disappeared. Then she wept...and declared that the next night she would watch the shepherd...and again the next night the same thing happened; once she heard the pipe, Nanina could not keep still, and another lamb was lost" (Morgan 286). The light and dark imagery is used to depict the power of evil, and forebode darkness. Each morning Nanina is rational and decides not to revisit the palace, but once the night approaches, Nanina becomes overpowered by temptation, gives in, and loses another sheep. The dark imagery is used to emphasize the protection of the dark, functioning, metaphorically like a blanket under which evil can be hidden from the world,