Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Dark dungeons vs. glittering castle rooms; a radiant princess vs. a dull, oppressed girl; love of art and music vs. obliviousness to it: probably the most obvious motif in the book is the contrast between light and darkness. The name of the kingdom, Dor, means "golden" in French (d'or). The author fills her story with literal and metaphorical images of light and dark.
What does all this light/dark imagery symbolize? Well, it's pretty loaded with meaning. In this book, light means:
- Goodness
- Awareness
- Happiness
- Beauty
- Hope for a better life
- Freedom
- Compassion
- Being connected with other people
Darkness means just the opposite:
- Evil
- Bitterness
- Obliviousness
- Oppression
- Hopelessness
- Deceit
- Imprisonment
- Isolation
You get the picture.
Despereaux, our good guy, even starts off his life with open eyes, unlike other mice, because he likes to watch the light and is in awe of the beauty in the world:
"Look," said a brother named Furlough, "his eyes are open. Pa, his eyes are open. They shouldn't be open."
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 onto the ceiling in an oval of brilliance, and he was smiling up at the sight. (1.15-16)
Always looking for the light, we know Despereaux's gonna be okay.
Roscuro's the same way at first—he's also entranced by light even though he's a rat who is supposed to enjoy the darkness. Roscuro's full name—Chiaroscuro—means the contrast of darkness and light. This tells us that the rat isn't all bad at the beginning; he has qualities of both goodness (light) and evil (darkness) within him:
Reader, do you know the definition of the word "chiaroscuro"? If you look in your dictionary, you will find that it means the arrangement of light and dark, darkness and light together. (16.2)
But Roscuro ends up in the dark dungeons with a bitter, distorted soul. Even when he's allowed back upstairs, he doesn't feel at home. The light and darkness are still battling inside him.
Upstairs, Downstairs
There's a definite "Upstairs/Downstairs" thing going on in this story. Upstairs in the castle is bright light, music, and art, radiant princesses and loving fathers. Downstairs in the dungeon is darkness and misery—no one but the wretched, lonely jailer; tortured, chained prisoners, and of course, rats. Lots and lots of rats.
Nothing good happens in the dungeons except the eventual rescue of the princess. When people living upstairs have to go down to the dungeon, it represents their descent into a dangerous and frightening world. Living in the dark, whether literally or figuratively, is unhealthy for the spirit, according to our storyteller.
Just thinking about it creeps Shmoop out. Could you turn that night light on for us? Thanks.