We all know people who blame everyone else for their problems. They're usually pretty unhappy. Terrible things happen to Despereaux, Mig, Princess Pea, and even Roscuro in The Tale of Despereaux, but they all handle it differently. Despereaux doesn't blame his family for abandoning him; he forgives them. Mig's father sells her into slavery, but she takes him back at the end. Roscuro, OTOH, decides to blame Princess Pea for all his problems. We know how that turns out for him.
The "good" characters in the book are all able to think about the part they've played in getting themselves into troubling situations. It makes them rely on their own resources in solving their problems instead of waiting around for others to fix them.
When you don't go around blaming others for all your problems, you can take responsibility for things you've done wrong. Characters in the story who feel truly guilty and remorseful, like Despereaux's and Mig's fathers, are motivated to act more kindly. Things turn out okay for them, as opposed to rats like Botticelli and Mig's "uncle," who feel no guilt at all.
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- Why isn't Despereaux angrier with his family for letting him be sentenced to death?
- Why does Roscuro blame Princess Pea for his fiasco with the queen's bowl of soup?
- Does Mig blame her father for all of her problems?
Chew on This
The author seems to be telling that blaming people doesn't solve anything; it just makes you bitter and miserable.
In this book, feeling guilty is the first step back into fixing relationships with people you've hurt.