How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
It is true. Despereaux's eyes should not have been open. But they were. He was staring at the sun reflecting off his mother's mirror. The light was shining on the ceiling in an oval of brilliance, and he was smiling up at the sight. (1.16)
From the very beginning, Despereaux is awestruck by the beauty in the world. Being born with his eyes open is a metaphor for being someone who appreciates and really sees what's around them. He's "awake" to the world.
Quote #2
But Despereaux wasn't listening to Furlough. He was staring at the light pouring in through the stained-glass windows of the castle. He stood on his hind legs and held his handkerchief over his heart and stared up, up, up into the brilliant light.
"Furlough," he said, "what is this thing? What are all these colors? Are we in heaven?" (3.3-4)
When Despereaux wanders through the castle, he's struck by the overwhelming beauty and wonder of the stained-glass windows. The other mice are indifferent. They're stuck in their own very small world and aren't open to experience. Their eyes are closed, so to speak, and so are their minds.
Quote #3
"'Once upon a time,'" he said aloud, relishing the sound. And then, tracing each word with his paw, he read the story of a beautiful princess and the brave knight who serves and honors her. (3.27)
Despereaux is the first mouse in the castle who reads books rather than eating them, and he's immediately drawn in by the tale of a princess and her brave knight. It transports him to a whole other world. If he'd just eaten the pages, he'd ever have been able to learn how to behave with the princess. Stories are awe-some.