入圍
姓  名 李怜慧 學  校 天主教曉明女子高級中學 年  級 一 年 戊 班

 

 

Desperate?? NO!!!! it's all about LOVE!!

Can one exceptionally small mouse that is an oddball among the mouse community set out on his quest to rescue a human princess? The Tale of Despereaux a charming story of an unlikely hero masterfully told wit and snatches of wisdom. The novel which its main plot follows the adventure of the unique little mouse Despereaux Tilling, is divided into four books. Each book tells the story from the perspective of a different character: Despereaux, Roscuro, Miggery Sow, and then all together.

The novel is a really great way to guide teenagers through the process of understanding author`s craft through the use of extended metaphor. The author, DiCamillo uses light and darkness as a major theme and motif: ”The world is dark, and light is precious.” The relationship between light and dark is a reoccurring theme that the author presents throughout this book. We can try to figure out those metaphors that she wants to tell us through the different stories or different characters. For instance, the setting-light vs. dark. ”The light was shining onto the ceiling in an oval brilliance, and Despereaux was smiling up at the sight,”(pg13) “ It was so dark. Despereaux had never before encountered darkness so awful, so all-encompassing.”(pg73) There are many other examples for us to clearly detect DiCamillo’s writing technique of comparing light and dark. I was really impressed by the ingenious way of writing a story. It not only talks about the virtually of light or dark, but also implicit the goodness and badness of humanity. Though the author did not use an obvious way to emphasize it, we can still slight knowledge of her intention.

Another thing that interested me is that when I read the book, I was wondering how these seemingly unrelated stories affect each other? DiCamillo addresses this with “Every action, reader, no matter how small, has a consequence” which encouraged me to continue the story and finally found out that there are connections between them indeed. The discovery really gave me a big shock because I finally realize that we might cause a chain of events only on a small action we’ve done or to speak thoughtlessly. They could sometimes be harmful to others even to ourselves. Thus, we must take considered action before doing everything in order not to do something that will ruin our or others life.

Among the four books, I would like to share my inspiration of the third one: the story of Roscuro. Living in the dungeon, Roscuro was originally obsessed with the light and beauty which never penetrates as far as the dungeon. However, a disaster happened when he finally escaped from the dungeon, and infiltrated the dining room of the royal family. He was seen by the princess on a chandelier and was frightened sufficiently enough to fall accidentally in the Queen’s soup, causing the queen to die. Heartbroken, Roscuro vowed revenge on the princess for causing the tragedy to happen and forcing him back to the dungeon. Revenge, is the reason why the princess will be kidnapped and why Roscuro persuaded the servant girl, Miggery to help him complete his evil planning. I feel really sorry for Roscuro and also for those whose heart break but then mend in a crooked and lopsided way. Hatred makes them become cruel, negative, and lost the pure heart they once have. There are better ways to get through the frustrations we face. It is no need to blame the gods and accuse others. The situation wouldn’t become better after we retaliate, on the contrary, we may lose the opportunity to retrieve. By the time it is too late to regret, isn’t it?

The characters are brought to life with the descriptive narration of the author. She skillfully relates their actions as well as their reactions to what happens to them. Light, love, and soup are the essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. I am totally touched by the story and it gave me so many inspirations that will be helpful of my life. The Tale of Despereaux is a story that will eventually leave you a smile on your face.