Themes
Importance of choice
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstein, shows the theme of
importance of choice through the fact that making one choice can change your
life. Throughout the book many characters display this theme. Celia is one
character who strongly displays this theme. Towards the end of the book when
Marco is willing to end the competition by jumping into the fire, Celia makes
an important choice. "Neither of them is watching as Celia runs towards them
through the rain. Tsukiko flicks her still-glowing cigarette into the fire. It
is still in the air when Marco cries out for Celia to stop. It has barely
touched the flickering white flames of the bonfire when she leaps into his arms.
Marco knows he does not have the time to push her away, so he pulls her close,
burying his face on her hair, his bowler hat torn from his head by the wind."
(462) this is a great example of the theme importance of choice. Another
character who demonstrated the theme of importance of choice is bailey. Bailey
shows this theme a few times throughout the book. One place he shows it is the first time he ever goes to the circus. On a dare, he takes the dare is does it. ""Baileys dare is to break into the night circus. I’ll do it,' he says. He jumps down from his low branch and starts
across the field, not wanting to hear their replies, not wanting Caroline to
react to the dare." (60) Another place bailey represents this theme is when
poppet asks him to come with them traveling with the circus. And to become a
part of the circus. "Bailey walks away from the house buzzing with energy."
(380) this is a really important choice for bailey to make because in the end,
he runs the circus. The circus is his to own and do as he pleases with
it.
importance of choice through the fact that making one choice can change your
life. Throughout the book many characters display this theme. Celia is one
character who strongly displays this theme. Towards the end of the book when
Marco is willing to end the competition by jumping into the fire, Celia makes
an important choice. "Neither of them is watching as Celia runs towards them
through the rain. Tsukiko flicks her still-glowing cigarette into the fire. It
is still in the air when Marco cries out for Celia to stop. It has barely
touched the flickering white flames of the bonfire when she leaps into his arms.
Marco knows he does not have the time to push her away, so he pulls her close,
burying his face on her hair, his bowler hat torn from his head by the wind."
(462) this is a great example of the theme importance of choice. Another
character who demonstrated the theme of importance of choice is bailey. Bailey
shows this theme a few times throughout the book. One place he shows it is the first time he ever goes to the circus. On a dare, he takes the dare is does it. ""Baileys dare is to break into the night circus. I’ll do it,' he says. He jumps down from his low branch and starts
across the field, not wanting to hear their replies, not wanting Caroline to
react to the dare." (60) Another place bailey represents this theme is when
poppet asks him to come with them traveling with the circus. And to become a
part of the circus. "Bailey walks away from the house buzzing with energy."
(380) this is a really important choice for bailey to make because in the end,
he runs the circus. The circus is his to own and do as he pleases with
it.
.
Power of love
Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus develops the theme power of love when Celia and Marco are forced to still participate in the competition even though their feelings for each other are strong. In the beginning, Celia growing up without a mother and her difficult father was never the person to depend on someone or show them any affection. Celia only depends on herself because she only trusts herself and she believes she can be independent and if she would ever love someone, she wouldn't be the person she wants to be. She is denying herself and her feelings for Marco by creating a false image of what she wants for herself because she expects happiness from this. "I have spent a great deal of my life struggling to keep myself in control, to know myself inside and out, everything kept in perfect order. I lose that when I'm with you"(350).This quote shows how even though Celia constantly denies it; she has strong feelings for Marco. The power of her feelings, the love she feels for him is stronger than the control she has spent her whole life hiding behind because she is scared to let anyone have an impact on her life. This theme continues when Marco and Celia are faced with the realization that they are the two people involved in the competition. Ever since a young age for both of them were taught to use magic to the best of their abilities with the idea of them one day facing someone else and winning. Since their can only be one winner of the competition, Celia and Marco are faced with many conflicts, "How can you think that I don't love you? Celia, you are everything to me. I don't know who is trying to convince you otherwise, but you must believe me, please"(420). This quote shows how even though there is outside forces that are trying to convince them their love is doomed and not right like Celia’s father and Marcos mentor, Marco still believes that his love will be enough to convince Celia to just let their feelings take over and not think twice about it. The power of Marcos love for Celia is so strong that he is willing to go against everyone in his life and finally be with the one he loves. When Celia tries everything to save the circus from falling apart, she realizes that to save the circus, the competition needs a winner. Celia loves Marco so much; she is willing to take her own life just so Marco and the people of the circus will be safe. When the tables turn, Marco ends up deciding it upon himself to save the day. Once he made the decision to jump in the fire, Celia couldn't let him do it alone, and she didn't want to live without the man that made her feel alive. "I couldn't let you do it, I couldn't let you go"(469), this quote shows how even though she constantly denies it, Celia cannot control her feelings, and neither can Marco. Celia ends up risking everything for the man she loves, but in the end she knew that they key to her true happiness was accepting that no matter what happens in life, love will always find its way. The theme of power of love is seen throughout this novel and its love that saves the circus and everyone apart of it.
How the themes interact
These themes interact with each other by showing how one choice
can change your life forever, with the power of love. This theme is shown
multiple times throughout the book. One example is when bailey leaves his home
to go live with the circus. His power of love for the circus drives him to leave
and go be with the circus. There are many more examples throughout the book, but
I find this one the most important because bailey carries on the circus and
thanks to his decision, the circus keeps going.
can change your life forever, with the power of love. This theme is shown
multiple times throughout the book. One example is when bailey leaves his home
to go live with the circus. His power of love for the circus drives him to leave
and go be with the circus. There are many more examples throughout the book, but
I find this one the most important because bailey carries on the circus and
thanks to his decision, the circus keeps going.
The themes power of love and importance of choice interact with each other in this novel by showing how one’s own decision, driven by love, can change your life forever. Over the course of this novel, numerous characters are faced with many difficult decisions which ultimately would be life changing. "Follow your dreams, Bailey. Be they Harvard or something else entirely. No matter what that father of yours says or how loudly he might say it. He forgets that he was someone's dream once, himself"(112), this quote shows you have the ultimate choice in life by either doing what others expect of you, or what your dreams are. Bailey's parents wanted him to stay on the family farm and never leave home, but Bailey’s feelings for Poppet motivate him to make the ultimate decision to leave his family, the farm, and his whole life behind to become the new owner of the circus. "I choose this, Bailey thinks. I want this. I need this. Please. Please let this work. He wishes it, harder than he has ever wished for anything over birthday candles or on shooting stars"(486). This quote shows how Bailey finally followed his dreams and the choice he made for himself was what he truly wanted. The power behind his life for Poppet made him ultimately decide what he was going to do with his life, and he finally found his answer by loving her. This theme continues with Herr Thiessen, a clockmaker who finds the circus as a place to escape reality and become someone completely different. Herr, who made the clock that proudly hung above the entrance of the circus, fell in love with the circus the first time he stepped through the gates. He found the circus magical and he felt that he needed to express himself through newspaper writings, "One article finds its way into a London paper, printed under the title 'Nights at the Circus.' It is these articles that make Herr Friedrick Thiessen the unofficial leader, the figurehead, of those most ardent followers of the circus"(182). By Herr writing articles for the newspaper, word spreads like wild fire and soon many people come to the circus hoping to get the same experience as he did. Herr loved the circus, and he saw it as a place of a million mysteries but he was always determined to find any new place he had not yet discovered every time he stepped through the gates. By Herr starting to write the news articles, he brought together many people who followed in his footsteps by traveling to the circus. These people were called rêveurs, and even after Herr’s death they carried on with his work. Driven by his love for the circus, Herr made the choice to start up these articles because he wanted people to experience exactly how he felt. This decision that Herr is one of the reasons how Bailey ended up finding the circus again and his love Poppet. This theme continues with Celia and Marcos love ultimately helping them decide one of the most decisions of their lives. Celia and Marco both made the choice to leave everything and everyone behind and jump into the fire and save the circus and end the competition. "'Did it work? Please tell me it worked.' In response, she kissed him the way he once kissed her in the middle of the crowded ballroom. As though they are the only two people in the world" (486). Celia and Marco both decided that they needed each other and they both knew that’s what would make them happy, this choice was because the love they felt for each other was so strong any other decisions would make for a life time full of regret.
Graphic Elements
Importance of choice
This image represents the confusion that goes with the circus.
It’s a huge illusion and whenever the reader is trying to figure out what’s
going on. It makes you confused just like the book, and the choice you’re going
to make. There are so many different things to choose from and you just feel
trapped. That’s how every character has felt at one point in this book. it
really captures the feelings of when you’re going to make an important
choice.
It’s a huge illusion and whenever the reader is trying to figure out what’s
going on. It makes you confused just like the book, and the choice you’re going
to make. There are so many different things to choose from and you just feel
trapped. That’s how every character has felt at one point in this book. it
really captures the feelings of when you’re going to make an important
choice.
Power of love
This painting titled "Power of Love" by a UK artist represents the theme Power of Love that is seen throughout the novel The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This painting represents the theme because it shows a boy and a girl getting ready to kiss each other, but they hesitate and stay in this pose. This represents Marco and Celia’s relationship, their feelings for each other are obvious, like the two people in the painting, but it takes Marco and Celia awhile to be able to fully comprehend their feelings. They know that if they do end up together, things will never be the same, but there is no way in preventing what's bound to happen. In this painting, the two are meant to be together, as the black and white lines correspond with each other, and once they kiss the lines will match up. This panting shows how something’s are meant to be like lines matching up and just like Marco and Celia. The power behind Marco and Celia's love for each other will forever be there and there is nothing that could stop it, just like nothing in this painting could stop the two people from touching.