There are two types of character transformation that happen in Splendors and Glooms: physical transformation into another kind of being and the transformation of one's heart. Clara is physically transformed (against her will) by Grisini, who's gotten particularly good at turning children into puppets. And, in the end, through sheer force of will, she's able to change back into a girl again. Several characters undergo a change of heart in the book. Cassandra becomes less evil at the end, even agreeing to leave her fortune to the children. And Parsefall, who's always acted very nastily toward Lizzie Rose, lets his guard down and accepts love and family into his life again.
Questions About Transformation
- How do Lizzie Rose and Parsefall know that the puppet they find is Clara?
- How does Clara manage to turn back into a girl at the end of the book? Does this physical transformation reveal a personal transformation? Why or why not?
- When does Parsefall finally agree to call Lizzie Rose his sister? Why does he have a change of heart?
- Do you think that Cassandra is a nice person by the time she dies? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Even though Clara's transformation into a puppet is horrible, it allows her to express a side of herself that she has always wanted to—that of a performer. Parsefall strings her up and lets her dance with all of the other puppets.
Without the phoenix-stone, Cassandra becomes someone more vulnerable, and in doing so, she is able to accept love and care from other people for the first time in her long, lonely life.