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. Somethings where clear and others were hazier.
The Circus is a symbol for dreams
even the name Le cirque de Rêves means the circus of dreams. The
circus is like stepping into a dream or fantastical world beyond the
imagination of the everyday person. It is a way for them to see the
possibilities that Cecilia and Marco see and what their magic can do. But there
is danger in a dream just like in magic. They can scare and delight and bring
to light somethings that are hidden beneath the surface. This is seen in how
the circus was the spark for Bailey to discover his path for the future.
How someone identifies themselves is
quite important. Both Marco and Alexander have names but only for the intent of
blending in with society it is not a representation of who they are. Prospero is the stage name for Hector Bowman
and Hector has repeatedly tried to change the name for which Cecilia wishes to
identify herself by. But the one thing that ties them all together is the one
thing that they cannot reveal to the world. They all practice real magic. But
even then it is still hard to put into words what they do. They have been
described as magicians but most magicians perform feats that look like magic
but are not while Hector, Alexander, Cecilia and Marco carryout real magic. With
that in mind how does one describe the feats of magic that is and made the ice
garden or the wishing tree? Are words really able to describe and identify what
magic is and does? Magic can manipulate the things like fabric but how? We use
things like names and descriptors to help identify what we cannot but it is not
always accurate to what the person or item truly is.
As Juliet
had put it so eloquently,
“What's in a name? That which we call a
rose
By any other name would smell as sweet”
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