Parenting and Development in "Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Night Circus offered a world of wonder for it's readers to explore. By pacing out the development and description of the interworkings of the circus, Erin Morgenstern was able to create the feeling of discovery and magic. This feeling was carried through until the end.
Mirroring the development of the circus, it's mother and father, Celia and Marco, grew alongside it. The commentary on upbringing in The Night Circus is well timed for a teenage audience, struggling to understand the world that seems to operate by magic. The world of adults, to a teenager or a child, seems like a machine that spins and whizzes with so many perfectly timed smaller machinations that all fit to fill their grander whole of society. It seems like there is no place for feelings of imperfection, but we all must find a way.
At the very start of the book, "you" are thrust into the world of the night circus. "You" debate going inside, or turning back. You debate which tent to go into, which ones to stay in or to skip, which food to tr, as well as countless other choices. The book mimics the freedom of maturity but also the responsibilities of growing up in this way. You are inducted into a new world, but the way forward is one you carve yourself.
In The Night Circus,the main two children develop into adults under very unique parentage. Both fathers in this book view their children as objects or tools more than humans. Refusing to treat them with dignity, respect, or an ounce of love. The children grow up without the vital element of choice that is introduced in the beginning.
Celia's father Hector adores talking about her like she isn't there, promising things of her she cannot or will not deliver, makes decisions for her without her consent, and attempts to control the direction of her life and relationships. Despite this obvious imbalance of control over the direction of her life, Celia is still blamed for her every failure and reminded of them every day. Hector symbolizes the kind of parenthood that many kids, including myself, have had to struggle under; one of oppressive control.
As a result, Celia had a fighting spirit. She challenged her institutions, revelled in her power, and was even admitted to be the stronger of the two candidates at the end, by Marco. She crumpled angrily letters of marriage proposals, and ignored the words of her father with as much strength as she could manage.
Marco's father was similar in some respects, but the polar opposite in others. While he still held the same unrealistic expectation for his prodigy as Hector, he offered him far less aid and was drastically less present in his adopted son's life. Marco was left to study for days on end, and eventually went years without so much as a word from his father figure. The man in the grey suit, as even the vagueness of his name implies, symbolized neglect.
Such neglect engendered a need for comfort in Marco, as he was far deeper in romantic sentiment than Celia, and showed much less restraint in expressing it. Celia, who carefully considered every choice she made, weighed her options in her romance. Marco, however, thought more with his heart than his head when it came to Celia. His actions in the game were also less defiant, more subtle, and often sought to bring about or help an emotion, like the Ice Garden or Pool of Tears.
Both parents specifically seek out orphans that are seen as weird by society. This rung the warning bells for abuse for me right away, as I got the feeling that they were seeking out such kids for their vulnerability. With no family or friends to rely on, it left them emotionally open for their fathers' to exploit for their own purposes.
The book teaches a moral about love. In a world fighting against the love of Celia and Marco, even introducing the concept of a false love with Isobel, we see both sides of the coin. Loveless entities Hector and Mr. A.H. offer no sympathy and emotion, and in the end are overcome. While to me, the morals of love don't particularly thrill me, I enjoyed the psychology of the effect on love on the mind.
Mirroring the development of the circus, it's mother and father, Celia and Marco, grew alongside it. The commentary on upbringing in The Night Circus is well timed for a teenage audience, struggling to understand the world that seems to operate by magic. The world of adults, to a teenager or a child, seems like a machine that spins and whizzes with so many perfectly timed smaller machinations that all fit to fill their grander whole of society. It seems like there is no place for feelings of imperfection, but we all must find a way.
At the very start of the book, "you" are thrust into the world of the night circus. "You" debate going inside, or turning back. You debate which tent to go into, which ones to stay in or to skip, which food to tr, as well as countless other choices. The book mimics the freedom of maturity but also the responsibilities of growing up in this way. You are inducted into a new world, but the way forward is one you carve yourself.
In The Night Circus,the main two children develop into adults under very unique parentage. Both fathers in this book view their children as objects or tools more than humans. Refusing to treat them with dignity, respect, or an ounce of love. The children grow up without the vital element of choice that is introduced in the beginning.
Celia's father Hector adores talking about her like she isn't there, promising things of her she cannot or will not deliver, makes decisions for her without her consent, and attempts to control the direction of her life and relationships. Despite this obvious imbalance of control over the direction of her life, Celia is still blamed for her every failure and reminded of them every day. Hector symbolizes the kind of parenthood that many kids, including myself, have had to struggle under; one of oppressive control.
As a result, Celia had a fighting spirit. She challenged her institutions, revelled in her power, and was even admitted to be the stronger of the two candidates at the end, by Marco. She crumpled angrily letters of marriage proposals, and ignored the words of her father with as much strength as she could manage.
Marco's father was similar in some respects, but the polar opposite in others. While he still held the same unrealistic expectation for his prodigy as Hector, he offered him far less aid and was drastically less present in his adopted son's life. Marco was left to study for days on end, and eventually went years without so much as a word from his father figure. The man in the grey suit, as even the vagueness of his name implies, symbolized neglect.
Such neglect engendered a need for comfort in Marco, as he was far deeper in romantic sentiment than Celia, and showed much less restraint in expressing it. Celia, who carefully considered every choice she made, weighed her options in her romance. Marco, however, thought more with his heart than his head when it came to Celia. His actions in the game were also less defiant, more subtle, and often sought to bring about or help an emotion, like the Ice Garden or Pool of Tears.
Both parents specifically seek out orphans that are seen as weird by society. This rung the warning bells for abuse for me right away, as I got the feeling that they were seeking out such kids for their vulnerability. With no family or friends to rely on, it left them emotionally open for their fathers' to exploit for their own purposes.
The book teaches a moral about love. In a world fighting against the love of Celia and Marco, even introducing the concept of a false love with Isobel, we see both sides of the coin. Loveless entities Hector and Mr. A.H. offer no sympathy and emotion, and in the end are overcome. While to me, the morals of love don't particularly thrill me, I enjoyed the psychology of the effect on love on the mind.
This novel sounds interesting, but the lives of the children is sad. It seems ironic that sad story is set in a happy place like a circus, but this does not seem like a normal circus. I think I will try this book some time.
ReplyDeleteYou should give it a try! The lives of the children is very sad, but I wouldn't say that the tone of the book is sad, that was just the aspect of it that I chose to talk about. Overall the circus was very whimsical and a ton of fun to read about.
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