Book The Second: Chiaroscuro Summary
In "Book the Second: Chiaroscuro," our story goes back in time, to the birth of a rat named Chiaroscuro—which means the arrangement of dark and light. This rat is born several years before Despereaux shows up in the dungeons, and is one day caught chewing on Gregory's rope. Gregory asks Roscuro why no one has taught him the rules. After all, the rats know that Gregory's rope is totally off limits.
Gregory holds up a match to Roscuro's face and warns him not to touch his rope again. Then he throws the rat into the dark dungeons. But Roscuro's been changed by the flame that he saw. He's now completely fascinated by light and illumination. Roscuro goes to another rat, Botticelli, and tells him that he thinks that the meaning of life might
be light. Botticelli scoffs at this and says that the meaning of life is obviously the suffering of others. He talks about how much fun it is to torture prisoners down in the dungeons.
Soon after Roscuro's delightful little chat with Botticelli, the king's men throw a new prisoner down into the dungeons. The rats are delighted, and Roscuro says that he'll join in on the torture. But then out of nowhere, the door behind the prisoner swings open and Roscuro gets a glimpse of the world upstairs. He gasps at all that light. A soldier throws down a red cloth to the prisoner, telling him that he'll need every bit of warmth that he can find. Then he shuts the door and leaves the prisoner to Gregory. Roscuro tries to talk to the other rats about how beautiful the light was, but they all think he's crazy. Botticelli reminds him that he can't go upstairs because that's the domain of the mice. Then Botticelli makes Roscuro repeat "I am a rat" so that he remembers his place, as a rat.
Gregory holds up a match to Roscuro's face and warns him not to touch his rope again. Then he throws the rat into the dark dungeons. But Roscuro's been changed by the flame that he saw. He's now completely fascinated by light and illumination. Roscuro goes to another rat, Botticelli, and tells him that he thinks that the meaning of life might
be light. Botticelli scoffs at this and says that the meaning of life is obviously the suffering of others. He talks about how much fun it is to torture prisoners down in the dungeons.
Soon after Roscuro's delightful little chat with Botticelli, the king's men throw a new prisoner down into the dungeons. The rats are delighted, and Roscuro says that he'll join in on the torture. But then out of nowhere, the door behind the prisoner swings open and Roscuro gets a glimpse of the world upstairs. He gasps at all that light. A soldier throws down a red cloth to the prisoner, telling him that he'll need every bit of warmth that he can find. Then he shuts the door and leaves the prisoner to Gregory. Roscuro tries to talk to the other rats about how beautiful the light was, but they all think he's crazy. Botticelli reminds him that he can't go upstairs because that's the domain of the mice. Then Botticelli makes Roscuro repeat "I am a rat" so that he remembers his place, as a rat.