How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He said nothing in defense of himself. How could he? Everything his aunt and uncle said was true. He was ridiculously small. His ears were obscenely large. He had been born with his eyes open. And he was sickly. He coughed and sneezed so often that he carried a handkerchief in one paw at all times. He ran temperatures. He fainted at loud sounds. Most alarming of all, he showed no interest in the things a mouse should show interest in. (2.14)
Despereaux's family wasn't big on inclusion. The book is full of examples on the sad consequences of feeling different and isolated; it sure doesn't do a lot for Despereaux's self-confidence.
Quote #2
"The story? What story?" Merlot stared at him. A piece of paper trembled at the end of one of her indignant whiskers. "It's just like Pa said when you were born. Something is not right with you." She turned and scurried from the library to tell her parents about this latest disappointment. (3.24)
Merlot just doesn't know what to do with her oddball little brother, so she runs away. If Shmoop was a mouse and had a brother who could read, we'd probably be all over it.
Quote #3
Despereaux's brothers and sisters soon abandoned the thankless task of trying to educate him in the ways of being a mouse.
And so Despereaux was free. (4.1-2)
The author is trying to point out the upside of isolation: You can do your own thing. Instead of feeling left out, Despereaux is relieved. Even though he's been shut out, it beats being constantly ridiculed.
Quote #4
There was a bellow of collective outrage. The whole of the mouse community surged toward Despereaux. The mice seemed to become one angry body with hundreds of tails and thousands of whiskers and one huge, hungry mouth opening and closing and opening and closing saying over and over and over again, "To the dungeon. To the dungeon. To the dungeon." (10.59)
Poor Despereaux has literally been cast out by the entire mouse community. In this story, he's sent to the dungeon where he could be killed by the rats. Maybe the author is saying that being cut off from your friends and family is a pretty dangerous thing in general. It makes you very vulnerable.
Quote #5
Rat.
A curse, an insult, a word totally without light. And not until he heard it from the mouth of the princess did Roscuro realize that he did not like being a rat, that he did not want to be a rat. This revelation hit Roscuro with such force, that it made him lose his grip on the chandelier. (20.15-16)
It's not until Roscuro is spotted by the princess that he understands why rats stay in the basement. It's definitely a shocking revelation to learn that people are disgusted by him just because he's a rat. Our author's talking about stereotyping here.
Quote #6
And he saw that the princess was glaring at him. Her eyes were filled with disgust and anger. "Go back to the dungeon" was what the look she gave him said. "Go back into the darkness where you belong."
This look, reader, broke Roscuro's heart. (21.20-22)
Roscuro's never felt so humiliated and shunned in his life…and that moment changes him. Up until now, he could dream of a life in the light. This is what humiliation can do—make people lose their dreams until they become bitter and hopeless.
Quote #7
"Ah, child, and what does it matter what you are wanting?" said her mother. She squeezed Mig's hand once, twice, and then she died, leaving Mig alone with her father, who, on a market day in spring soon after his wife's death, sold his daughter into service for a handful of cigarettes, a red tablecloth, and a hen. (24.10)
Nobody really cared about her even when her family was together, but now Mig is utterly alone in the world. We later learn how this affects her: she'll latch onto anyone who promises her something better.
Quote #8
Years passed. Mig spent them scrubbing the kettle and tending the sheep and cleaning the hut and collecting innumerable, uncountable, extremely painful clouts to the ear. In the evening, spring or winter, summer or fall, Mig stood in the field as the sun set, hoping that the royal family would pass before her again. (28.1)
Mig lives a pretty lonely life as Uncle's slave, and never gets the love or care that she needs. Instead, she retreats into a fantasy about being a princess. Mig isn't pretty or smart like the princess, and she doesn't really talk about what she's feeling. The author just tells us how Mig spends her time, and this gives the reader sympathy for how totally alone she is.
Quote #9
The princess was led to her fate as around her, everyone slept. The king slept in his giant bed with his crown on his head and his hands crossed on his chest, dreaming that his wife, the queen, was a bird with green and gold feathers who called his name, Phillip, Phillip, Phillip, without ceasing. (38.2)
Even though Princess Pea has all the worldly possessions that she could ever want, her crown and riches won't save her in this moment. Instead, she feels totally alone as Roscuro and Mig force her to descend the steps to the dungeons. The author makes an interesting contrast with everyone upstairs, who are tucked in their beds, dreaming dreams of their loved ones.
Quote #10
Cook brought the hem of her apron up to wipe at her tears. "It won't," she said. "It won't be all right ever again. They've taken our darling away. There ain't nothing left to live for without the princess."
Despereaux was amazed to have exactly what was in his heart spoken aloud by such a ferocious, mouse-hating woman as Cook. (39.14-15)
All this time, Despereaux has felt like Cook is such a hard, unfeeling woman. But when the princess goes missing, he sees that she's just as lost without Princess Pea. This is a moment of closeness that makes the mouse feel he has something in common with someone.