How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
This story begins within the walls of a castle, with the birth of a mouse. A small mouse. The last mouse born to his parents and the only one of his litter to be born alive. (1.1)
Despereaux arrives as the last baby born to the Tilling family. His mother's favorite description of him is "disappointing." How's that for confidence-building? You'd think she'd be overjoyed about him as the sole survivor of the litter. But considering that a mother mouse can have 300 babies in her lifetime, Antoinette probably has a serious case of baby burnout by the time Despereaux shows up.
Quote #2
Despereaux's siblings tried to educate him in the ways of being a mouse. His brother Furlough took him on a tour of the castle to demonstrate the art of scurrying. (3.1)
Like good older brothers and sisters, Despereaux's siblings try to teach him how to act and navigate their world, but it's a lost cause. Despereaux simply isn't interested in all of these mouse activities. He's different from the get-go, but his family values conformity.
Quote #3
"He cannot, he simply cannot be my son," Lester said. He clutched his whiskers with his front paws and shook his head from side to side in despair.
"Of course he is your son," said Antoinette. "What do you mean he is not your son? This is a ridiculous statement. Why must you always make the ridiculous statements?" (6.1-2)
Despereaux is such an odd duck that even his parents don't understand how he comes from their family. It sets Lester and Antoinette against each other.
Quote #4
"Farewell" is not the word that you would like to hear from your mother as you are being led to the dungeon by two oversize mice in black hoods.
Words that you would like to hear are "Take me instead. I will go to the dungeon in my son's place." There is a great deal of comfort in those words. (12.38-39)
Despereaux's mother makes a drama-queen scene as he's taken to the dungeon, but she doesn't do anything about it. So much for being able to count on his loved ones to support him no matter what. Mig's story of abandonment later in the book echoes this one.
Quote #5
Despereaux shuddered. His own brother was delivering him to the dungeon. His heart stopped beating and shrunk to a small, cold, disbelieving pebble. But then, just as quickly, it leapt alive again, beating with hope.
"Furlough," Despereaux said, and he took one of his brother's paws in his own. "Please, let me go. Please. I'm your brother." (13.14-15)
Despereaux's brother doesn't love him enough to save his life. Like father, like son, in this case. Why should Furlough take pity on Despereaux when his father didn't? Notice all the changes in emotion the author packs into these two paragraphs. Families make people very emotional. Shmoop found this passage particularly sad.
Quote #6
"I traded my girl, my own daughter, for this red tablecloth and for a hen and for a handful of cigarettes."
"Tsk," said Roscuro. He was not alarmed to hear of such a hideous thing. His parents, after all, had not much cared for him, and certainly, if there was any profit to it, they would have sold him. (18.20-21)
Roscuro obviously didn't come from a very loving home. He's not even shocked by the prisoner's story about how he sold his daughter for a paltry sum. When you come from an unhappy home, it's easy to assume that that's just how things work. Until you see a happy family, that is.
Quote #7
Mig watched her father walk away, the red tablecloth billowing out behind him. He left his daughter. And, reader, as you already know, he did not look back. Not even once.
Can you imagine it? Can you imagine your father selling you for a tablecloth, a hen, and a handful of cigarettes? (24.15-16)
Even though Mig has never been particularly close to her father, she's still shocked when he sells her without a second thought. It's just not what a father is supposed to do, especially so soon after his wife's death. Poor Mig loses her whole family in one fell swoop. The author interrupts the story to let us know exactly what she thinks of Mig's father. She wants the reader to appreciate how bad this situation really is.
Quote #8
"I am making a history of the world, my world," said the Pea, "in tapestry. See? Here is my father, the king. And he is playing the guitar because that is something he loves to do and does quite well. And here is my mother, the queen, and she is eating soup because she loved soup." (29.29)
Making the tapestry is a way for Pea to cope with losing her mother. In a way, she'll always have her with her when she looks at the tapestry.
Quote #9
She was asleep and dreaming of her mother, the queen, who was holding out a spoon to her and saying, "Taste this, my sweet Pea, taste this, my darling, and tell me what you think."
The princess leaned forward and sipped some soup from the spoon her mother held out to her.
"Oh, Mama," she said, "it's wonderful. It's the best soup I have ever eaten." (37.1-3)
We all have special traditions and foods that we associate with our families. Princess Pea doesn't just dream about soup because she misses that delicious dish; it also makes her feel connected to her mother. In her dreams, her family is still complete and happy instead of torn asunder by tragedy.
Quote #10
Isn't it ridiculous, after all, to think that a son could forgive his father for beating the drum that sent him to his death? Isn't it ridiculous to think that a mouse could ever forgive anyone for such perfidy? (40.22)
Here's another editorial comment from the author. Do you think the author really thinks it's ridiculous for Despereaux to forgive his father? Or is she just emphasizing how compassionate he is?