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Summary
Summary
Exposition
The story introduces Princess Naupaka, a royal who lives in the mountains of Hawaii, and Kaui, a fisherman. The setting is both beach and mountain, representing the worlds the two characters come from.
Inciting Incident
Naupaka and Kaui fall in love at first sight when they meet on the beach. Despite their instant connection, they realize that their love is forbidden due to the class structures of ancient Hawaiian society. They try to get approval of their relationship.
Rising Action
Determined to find a way to be together, the couple seeks guidance. First, they visit the kupuna (wise elder), who tells them their love is kapu (forbidden), but suggests they visit the kahuna (high priest) for possible permission. Their journey through the mountains and forests to find the kahuna shows their growing emotional bond and commitment.
Climax
After reaching the kahuna and praying to the gods, a strom comes, which they interpret as the gods’ final refusal. The rejection makes it clear that their relationship will never be accepted.
Falling Action
Devastated, Naupaka and Kaui return to the beach. When they are saying goodbye to each other, Naupaka tears a flower in half, giving one part to Kaui and keeping the other.
Resolution
Naupaka returns to the mountains, and Kaui stays by the sea. The two lovers remain apart for the rest of their lives. From that day forward, the naupaka flower only blooms in halves, one type in the mountains and one by the sea. The split flower becomes a lasting symbol of their eternal love and separation.
Form of Literature
Form of Literature
The Legend of Naupaka is a developmental myth because:
The story is rooted in Hawaiian culture. It explains the origin of the naupaka flower, which only blooms in halves, one type in the mountains, the other by the sea. Developmental myths are stories used to explain a natural or social phenomenon within the world, helping people understand how things came to be.
Genre
Genre
Mythology...
The story is rooted in Hawaiian culture and explains the origin of the naupaka flower
It includes cultural figures such as the kupuna and kahuna, as well as divine forces (the gods), all of which are common aspects in mythological tales.
The myth reinforces cultural values
Children's Literature...
Myths are often shared with younger audiences as a way to pass down culture, values, and lessons.
This myth can be told in simplified or illustrated forms suitable for children.
It includes clear moral lessons (respect for tradition, the limits of love and power) and nature-based symbolism, which are common elements in cultural children’s stories.
Literary Devices
Literary Devices
Metaphor
Metaphor
Quote: “To this day, the naupaka flower only blooms by half, signifying the lovers’ separation.”
Explanation: This is a metaphor where the half-blooming flower stands for the emotional and physical incompleteness of love. The flower does not literally represent the lovers, but symbolically represents their parting.
Personification
Personification
Quote: “Lightning struck the mountain, and thunder rolled through the skies. They knew then that the gods too had said no.”
Explanation: This is personification, the gods’ refusal is expressed through nature’s violent reaction. The thunder and lightning is symbolism for the Gods disapproval. The storm becomes a voice of the gods, giving human-like decision making power to natural forces.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole
Quote: “It was love at first sight. Big time aloha happened right there.”
Explanation: The phrase “Big time aloha” is a form of hyperbole, exaggerating the intensity and quickness of Naupaka and Kaui’s love. It emphasizes the romantic drama of the moment.
Themes
Themes
1. Forbidden Love and Social Boundaries
1. Forbidden Love and Social Boundaries
One theme in the myth is forbidden love, the idea that love can be strong but still restricted by social norms and tradition. Naupaka, a princess, falls in love with Kaui, a fisherman, but their relationship is not allowed because of the class divide between them. When Naupaka seeks permission from the kupuna (wise elder), she is told their love is kapu, or forbidden (paraphrased). Even the kahuna (high priest) and the gods refuse to grant them approval. This shows how societal and spiritual hierarchies override personal desire. The couple’s eventual separation reinforces the idea that love does not always triumph over societal expectations, especially when those rules are deeply rooted in cultural or religious tradition.
2. Nature as a Symbol of Emotion and Memory
2. Nature as a Symbol of Emotion and Memory
Nature plays a symbolic role in the myth. When Naupaka and Kaui part, she tears a naupaka flower in half and gives one half to him, keeping the other for herself. As a result, the naupaka plant now blooms in halves, with one kind found in the mountains and the other by the sea. This transformation of the flower into a living memorial to their love demonstrates how natural elements can become stories of human emotion and legend. In mythology, nature often records and preserves human stories and cultural memory, making the physical world a sacred extension of emotional experience.
3. Respect for Cultural Authority and Divine Will
3. Respect for Cultural Authority and Divine Will
Another theme is the importance of obedience to spiritual and cultural authority. Naupaka and Kaui do not elope or rebel against tradition, instead, they seek approval from the kupuna, then the kahuna, and finally the Hawaiian gods through prayer. Despite their personal desires, they remain respectful of the customs and spiritual structures of their culture. The storm sent by the gods signals their rejection and is accepted by the lovers as final (paraphrased). This illustrates a theme of resignation to divine will, reflecting the belief that some forces are greater than human love. It reinforces the cultural value placed on tradition and spirituality, even in the face of personal heartbreak.
Application of Literary Criticism: New Criticism
Application of Literary Criticism: New Criticism
New Criticism is a literary theory that emphasizes a texts structure, language, imagery, and symbolism. It looks at the story by itself, without thinking about the author’s life or the time it was written. Instead, it focuses on how the parts of the story, like symbols, structure, and conflict, work together to create a message.
The Legend of Naupaka demonstrates strong symbolic unity. The most powerful symbol in the story, the half-blooming naupaka flower, is a metaphor for the lovers’ eternal separation. The mountain and sea varieties of the flower match with the physical and social divide between the princess and the fisherman, and their physical separation is shown by the incompleteness of the flower. This image ties the emotional loss of the characters to a permanent natural feature, reinforcing the theme of eternal longing and the endurance of love in symbolic form.
The lovers’ journey from hope to sorrow is shown by repetition. Repeated appeals to higher authority (elder, priest, gods), repeated rejection, and ultimately the split of the flower. The conflict between human desire and cultural/spiritual law is never explicitly resolved, but instead turned into a symbol, allowing the myth to achieve an emotional message without needing external context.
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