Sorka Hanrahan

Sorka (from the Irish meaning ‘bright, radiant’ ["Collins Gem Irish First Names" 1999] ) is a fictional character in Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern books. She is introduced as a child colonist on Pern, who arrives from Ireland on the colony ship "Yokohama" with her parents Mairi and Red Hanrahan and her brother Brian. She meets Sean Connell, one of the Irish tinkers, onboard ship and renews her friendship with him on the planet surface. Together they Impress the first fire lizards and later Impress dragons of the First Hatching. After the colony migrates to the northern continent of Pern, Sorka and Sean lead the other dragonriders to found Fort Weyr and begin the separation of Pern society into castes of Hold, Craft and Weyr [McCaffrey, Anne "Dragonsdawn" 1988] .

Role in Anne McCaffrey's writing.

Sorka’s Irishness, practical nature and love of horses reflect Anne McCaffrey herself more closely than any other Pern character. Sorka is also a useful literary vehicle for McCaffrey to touch on many of the themes that recur throughout the Pern chronicles. Twelve-year-old Sorka’s anticipation and enjoyment of freedom on her new planet contrast with the restrictiveness and dangers of overcrowded Old Earth. She revels in the outdoor and hands-on learning in the colony’s school, disdaining the city-bred girls in her class. [McCaffrey, Anne "Dragonsdawn" 1988]

McCaffrey perhaps laughs at her own early (and often remarked on) lack of enthusiasm for formal classes by commenting on Sorka’s loss of interest in "seeing history made" as the colony disembarks to the surface of the planet. The theme of history and the loss of written Records in other Pern stories is echoed in Sorka’s disinterested thought, "History was something you read about in books." [McCaffrey, Anne "Dragonsdawn" 1988]

Sorka finds herself without an obvious peer group in the first year of Landing, with no other girls her age amongst the colony children. She is able to deal with her isolation by forging a bond with the tinker boy Sean Connell, and together they Impress the first fire lizards; Sorka naming her first fire-lizard Duke, after her marmalade Tomcat back on Earth, allowing McCaffrey to explain the beginnings of the dragons which are the central premise to the "Dragonriders" series.

Readers may wonder whether the scene of discovery alludes to McCaffrey’s own imaginative childhood, as well as the Holds, Lords, and Ladies that populate the stories of the Ninth Pass. Wandering alone on a beach, Sorka is struck by a rock outcropping, which draws to mind an old Norman keep on her father’s farm back on Earth, where she and her brother Brian had played at being medieval knights and ladies. [McCaffrey, Anne "Dragonsdawn" 1988]

Relationship with Sean Connell

It could be argued that Sorka’s greatest contribution to the Pern stories is illuminating the vital character of Sean Connell through her relationship and marriage with him. Sean is initially a suspicious and wary tinker, fearful of space travel, and distrusting of the administration of the settlement. Sorka initially takes a leadership role, coaxing him through disembarkation and demonstrating the benefits of cooperating with the rest of the community. [McCaffrey, Anne "Dragonsdawn" 1988]

As Sean and Sorka grow older, Sean becomes more dominant, developing strong opinions and leadership skills. Sorka’s loving support allows his sometimes abrasive personality to be seen in a gentler light. The Hanrahan family, particularly her father, Red, also provide guidance and opportunities which Sean would not have had within his own family. Sean and Sorka both become veterinary apprentices under her father’s guidance, and this places them in position of being selected for Kitti Ping’s Dragon Program. [McCaffrey, Anne "Dragonsdawn" 1988]

When Sean becomes the acknowledged leader of the Dragonriders of the First Hatching, Sorka continues to support him and to demonstrate his care for dragons. After the Second Crossing to the Northern Continent, Sorka becomes Weyrwoman of Fort Weyr which is established under Sean’s leadership. Sean’s reputation for being a martinet prevents dissension among the younger dragonriders, while Sorka provides a more accessible facet of the Weyr leadership. Discussions about founding a Second Weyr are brought to Sorka rather than Sean, because, remembering her childhood in the restrictive society of Old Earth, Sorka is loath to repress younger and more exuberant riders like Torene. [McCaffrey, Anne "The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall" 1993]

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