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Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
The Struggle for Autonomy
Marco and Celia are caught in a constant struggle for autonomy and control over their own lives. Because they are bound to the challenge as children, their autonomy is forfeit when they are too young to consent. Both Celia and Marco find ways to exercise their own personal power and make their own decisions through their magical collaborations within the circus and by forging ahead with their romantic relationship. However, they are bound by the parameters of the game, and the consequences of trying to leave result in immense physical pain. Similarly, Bailey struggles to assert his own desires for his future against his father, who wants him to take over the family farm. Celia is careful to present the circus’s proprietorship to Bailey as a choice because she understands the pain of a life lived on someone else’s terms. Marco expresses a similar sentiment when he sadly notes that Bailey is so young for such a large responsibility, emphasizing the thematic intertwining of happiness and autonomy. Ultimately, Celia, Marco, and Bailey seize control of their own destinies, but they must make significant sacrifices to do so.
The Importance of Community
More than one community in the novel grows along with Le Cirque des Rêves. For the circus performers, the community that exists within it becomes their whole world, a found family of sorts that shares in the secrets of the circus and revels in the unique experiences they have as a result. The Murray twins, who are born into the circus and become the circus’s de facto children, are fiercely protective of the community that links so many lives together. Those outside of the circus also form profoundly important communities with the circus at their heart, especially the Conspirators and the rêveurs. While the Conspirators are a small group of strangers at the beginning of the novel, the bond they forge during the planning and building of the circus defines them for the rest of their lives. Similarly, the rêveurs rally around the circus and one another in an enthusiastic community built to share the common joy of the Night Circus. This community is exceptional in the way it nurtures its members. Even though Bailey has never met any rêveurs prior to leaving home, he comes to completely rely on them during his journey to join the Night Circus. Each of these communities revolves around the circus, creating a strong foundation of shared connection.
The Power of Love
The power of love is a significant theme in The Night Circus, and it acts as a catalyst for character development and change. At the heart of the novel is the love story between Celia and Marco. While they begin their challenge as strangers, their love develops over the course of several years and spurs them both to defy their teachers and test the limits of their bindings. Their feelings for one another drive them to create great feats of magical manipulation as the tents they create act as elaborate, physical love letters to each other. Similarly, Bailey is prepared to upend his entire life for his feelings for Poppet. Though he has only spent a short time with her, the moment she kisses him, he knows he will leave his life and the farm behind to join the circus and be with her. Love also comes at a great cost in the novel. Celia and Marco must face down death for the chance to be together, while Hinata sacrifices herself to end her challenge with Tsukiko and secure her lover’s safety. Unrequited love is what brings Celia to her father in the first place, as her mother took her own life after having been abandoned by Hector. Isobel is led on by Marco and then spurned, which results in her breaking the charm she put in place to protect the circus from Marco and Celia’s magic, which ultimately destabilizes the circus and puts everyone in danger. Love can both heal and harm in The Night Circus, and its power is undeniable.
The Power of Stories
In many ways, The Night Circus is a story about stories and their power to transform people’s lives. Stories exert a force on the narrative structure, alter the lives of the characters, and inspire aspects of the plot. Herr Thiessen’s transformation from a clockmaker to the figure at the center of the rêveurs comes because he is a talented storyteller. Herr Thiessen’s stories about the circus serve as epigraphs at the beginning of each section and illustrate just how much his life and the lives of the other rêveurs have been impacted by one another’s stories. Similarly, Widget’s power to divine the past in its entirety positions him as a person who can understand stories in a unique, magical way. This skill is what helps him secure the circus’s freedom from the wager, as he trades the man in the grey suit a story for it. Similarly, Tsukiko uses the story of the wizard in the tree and her own love story with Hinata to convince Marco to sacrifice himself for Celia. The novel also uses the narrative structure of second person point of view to place the reader directly into the action. The abrupt shift to a direct addressing of the reader as “you” has a startling, disorienting effect each time it occurs. It effectively provides the reader with an immersive experience of the magical circus that creates a unique, personal investment in the tale.
