Splendors and Glooms

In Chapter 19, when Grisini tells Cassandra to send for his wards to steal the phoenix-stone, he muses on the potential strength of children: “if one wants power, there is far more power in children” (133). Splendors and Glooms, which centers on the arcs of three children, explores youth as a representation of the human capacity to change and grow. The children, in contrast to the adults, uncover their individual strengths, learn how to counter their weaknesses, and discover how to support one another by tackling the challenge of personal growth.

One common aspect of youth is innocence, or purity of heart, which is embodied in the character of Lizzie Rose; however, part of making that aspect a strength lies in acknowledging The Shades of Gray Between Good and Evil. Lizzie Rose always sees the best in others, even those who have harmed her, and she strives to protect people she perceives as weaker than herself. Often, throughout the novel, those qualities yield good outcomes. Despite Parsefall resisting her kindness and lashing out at times, Lizzie Rose’s persistence allows them to build a strong relationship. Lizzie Rose’s kindness also moves Cassandra at key moments, if not transforming the woman, at least unlocking memories and teasing out what little goodness still remains in her. However, simultaneously, Lizzie Rose’s persistent gentleness can translate into weakness, and her wish to believe in fairytales can lead her astray. She can fail to set boundaries, meet her own needs, and anticipate traps or danger. She goes hungry at times, knowing Parsefall hardly deserves shared food when he didn’t share, but sharing with him all the same. She absorbs jabs and insults. Most notably, on finding Cassandra’s letter, Lizzie Rose leaps to the conclusion that a happy ending is easily within reach: “She felt as if she were in a play […] Some offstage person would die, clearing the pathway for a happy ending” (163). Lizzie Rose’s strength lies in learning to identify those who are truly worth saving. At the end of the book, Lizzie Rose’s nature allows her to devise a plan to save Clara. Lizzie Rose doesn’t blame Clara for destroying the phoenix-stone, and she recognizes that Clara needs help.

Another common aspect of youth is the intensity and turbulence of emotions, an aspect captured in the character of Parsefall; in this case, Parsefall’s growth involves finding the courage to face the truth, which is key to harnessing his emotions instead of falling prey to them. Unlike Lizzie Rose, Parsefall is ruled by strong emotions, primarily anger and fear. He is still grieving the death of his sister, the only person he felt truly loved him, and he fears what Grisini will do if he doesn’t comply with the man’s wishes. In the book’s early chapters, these emotions are a weakness. They often paralyze Parsefall, keeping him from acting or trusting others. When he finds Clara’s puppet, though, Parsefall starts to change. His anger and fear still get the better of him, but having someone to protect prompts him to start examining those emotions. That Parsefall spends much of the story unable to remember what Grisini did to him reflects how unchecked and unbalanced emotions often go hand in hand with obscured personal truths. So long as Parsefall lives in fear of learning the truth, he is vulnerable: he hides from Grisini, avoiding what needs to be done, and he falls for Cassandra’s temptations because he hopes the phoenix-stone will help him escape the emotional work of facing his past. Once Cassandra unlocks Parsefall’s memories, though, Parsefall is able to channel his emotions into action and help save Clara.

Youth is also associated with quiet obedience and deference to adults, which are characteristics that Clara initially embodies; part of her character arc, though, involves learning to stand up to adults and prioritize her own emotional needs. At the opening of the novel, Clara lives with her self-imposed guilt for the deaths of her siblings. Her belief that she somehow killed them by not eating her own watercress is representative of her survivor’s guilt, a sense that she did not deserve to live while they died; this guilt is reinforced by her parents, who have insisted on prioritizing their own grief over Clara’s feelings. Ironically, once Clara becomes a puppet, Clara feels freed from her home and the stifling atmosphere that contributes to her guilt. Away from a world of grief, Clara starts to focus on her own happiness, which is key to building strength for the battle against Cassandra in the latter half of the book. The spell on Clara allows Cassandra to communicate with her using magic. The first time this happens, Clara’s will is smothered by Cassandra’s. However, this defeat, combined with the danger Parsefall is in from both Cassandra and Grisini, gives Clara the motivation to find her inner strength. Following her first meeting with Cassandra, Clara builds up her reserves of mental strength and manages to reject Cassandra’s demands the next time. At the end of the book, the truth Clara finds in herself even lets her break Grisini’s spell and become human again. Like Lizzie Rose, Clara knows the phoenix-stone can’t give her what she wants, because Clara also wants things power cannot promise—namely love and her family. As a result, Clara uses conviction in her truth to destroy the stone and save everyone from both its power and Grisini.

As the children learn who they are, their individual strengths give them power against the forces that work against them, showing how the growth we experience in youth makes us strong. The children Lizzie Rose, Parsefall, and Clara, as compared to the adults Grisini and Cassandra, demonstrate how a willingness to face fears and admit failings is key to overcoming personal darkness and growing into a stronger version of ourselves.