Sherrar Character Analysis in The Word for World is Forest

Sherrar is the Athshean cousin of the headwoman in Tuntar, the village that Raj Lyubov visits after the Athsheans’ attack on Smith Camp. Lyubov had visited the village previously and met Sherrar then, but she’s unaccommodating during his final visit and tries to distract him from the goings-on at the Men’s Lodge by offering to take him to see the fishing nets. After Lyubov runs into Selver at Tuntar, Sherrar reveals that Selver is now a god. When Lyubov leaves Tuntar, Sherrar is visibly glad to be rid of him, and Lyubov reflects on how funny-looking she appears as she runs away. Readers later discover that the Athsheans were planning an attack on Centralville at this time, which was likely why Sherrar wanted to keep Lyubov away from the Lodge.

Sherrar Character Timeline in The Word for World is Forest

The timeline below shows where the character Sherrar appears in The Word for World is Forest. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Communication and Translation Theme Icon

...saw many strangers, and none approached him. He then met an acquaintance, the headwoman’s cousin Sherrar. She wouldn’t tell him where his old informants (Egath and Tubab) were, and she attempted... (full context)

...Central in two nights, and that he wished he’d never known Lyubov. After Selver left, Sherrar told Lyubov that Selver was a god now. Lyubov wanted to believe that Selver’s rejection... (full context)

The sight of Sherrar’s hop was somewhat funny. Terrans react so negatively to Athsheans because of their size and... (full context)

Violence, War, and Colonization Theme Icon

Now Selver is a god. The word Sherrar used was sha’ab, which means both “god” and “translator,” according to the dictionary in Lyubov’s... (full context)