A Comm Home of Trades

"Erin Morgenstern." Contemporary Authors Online . Detroit: Gale, 2012. Biography in Context . Web. 18 Nov. 2014. Morgenstern, Erin. The Night Circus . New York: Doubleday, 2011. Print. Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls . Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2011. Print. Shakespeare, William, and Alan Durband.   Romeo and Juliet . Woodbury, N.Y: Barron's, 1985. Print .

                      A Monster Calls is a book about how a boy named Conor deals with his mother dying from cancer. A spew monster comes to visit him in the night at 12:07 to tell him three stories from the past. The first story was of a prince who wanted to save his kingdom from a witch. The story illuminates how people can be both good and bad at the same time. The second story was about an apothecary and a parson. The apothecary wanted to use the yew tree for medicinal purposes but the parson refused to give it to him. At the end of the story Conor realized that not everything in life is fair.  By the third story of the invisible man, Conor becomes a retelling of the story as he gets ignored by others. After the experience it seems like life can sometimes feel similar to a cheat. After the third story, Conor has to tell his own story and truth about the monster that haunts his dreams.     ...

            There are several symbols in The Night Circus . The few that that are going to be talked about are: tarot cards, Le Cirque de Rêves , and identification.   Tarot Cards are a symbol of the unknown that comes to light along with the truth that has been hidden. The cards have been able to reveal the true identity of Marco and Marco’s and Cecilia’s feeling for each other before they even admitted it to themselves. The cards have also hinted to the path that Bailey will take in the final battle as the knight.  At the same time the cards can be interpreted in many different ways. It corresponds to how the future is not always clear and certain. Isobel always had a difficult time finding a clear meaning in the cards that she read for Cecilia, Marco and Bailey. It was not until they were closer to the end of the competition that the meaning behind the card became clear. The same can be said with the reading of the stars that Poppy did. So...

            There are a few themes that are present in The Night Circus.  The main theme that I will address is that of what the completion stood for. The competition that was going on between Cecilia and Bowen took place during the entire length of the book. It was a battle between Alexander’s teaching style and Hector’s methodology. It was also how ones actions affect not only your own future but someone else’s along with how we are all interconnected. Futures are not written in stone and dreams can be our reality. So which one is the focus… Dreams.             The circus is the foundation for a magical fight. It allows the visitor to enter a fantastical world that they could only image as real if they were asleep; this world could not possibly be real, but yet it is. Magic is real and it not only exists but it is also attainable through study and hard work, via Alexander’s method, or throug...

           The book centers around a competition that two magicians have every few decades. One magician goes by Alexander and the other goes by Prospero. Alexander practices magic with discipline and wields it with control which allows him to live among the normal people undetected, a subtle glamour if you will. Prospero on the other hand wields his magic with flair, pizzazz, and for entertainment as he travels the world putting on shows that he passes off as “simple magic” shows. Prospero only seems to use true magic when in his home to complete some of the monotonous tasks like moving trunks. For this competition both magicians must train and teach a disciple to compete in the arena of the night circus know as Le Cirque de Rêves . Prospero volunteers his daughter, Cecilia, and Alexander trains and orphan that calls himself Marco, but unbeknownst to the competitors they are fighting for their lives as the victor is the last one standing. Cecilia trav...

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/ -vUYZLa3NMBA/UAwLU7Tbr5I/ AAAAAAAAAtU/ 7klTlMakhmk/s1600/ The+Night+Circus+by+Erin+Morgenstern.jpg The Night Circus is written by Erin Morgenstern and published in 2011. 2011 was also the year the last Harry Potter movie was released and authors and studio executives were searching for the next big thing that could replace Harry Potter and the franchise. Due to this, it is common to see comparisons of The Night Circus to Harry Potter . I do find this to be somewhat of an unfair comparison. One of the major differences is how they incorporate magic into the story. Both books are speculative fiction but The Night Circus provides a more flawed and dangerous view of magic in contrast to the more fanciful notion of magic in Harry Potter. Magic takes training, study and care.  Those who know magic must practice in a way that allows them to blend in with the normal people. The only separation they have is when people attend their shows or enter ...