Journal Entry on “The Princess and the Goblin” by David Macdonald
Prior to reading “The Princess and the Goblin”, I assumed it was just another fairytale about a princess who falls in love with a cursed being and help transform that being into his original well-being. Even from the beginning of the book, I thought ‘this book is going to be so boring and predictable’. Little did I know, the more I read the more thought provoking the book became. Only after completing the book did I realize the author’s real intentions and how some of the underlying specific messages relate to religious symbolism. A strong example of religious symbolism in this book, is without a doubt, the relationship of the Grandmother with Princess Irene. Grandma’s character was often described as “white’ and “always there” even if she can’t sometimes be seen. This suggests divinity and promised protection so long as Princess did as she was told and followed the ‘invisible’ thread of her opal ring that always lead her to safety. I think this example is the author’s way of imposing that even when life gets hard, a person’s faith in God will help them find or achieve salvation. Another example shows that the author believes that those who have faith like the Princess and eventually Curdie, will evolve into good human beings and in turn, receive what they ask for. Unfortunately, the author also suggest that those who don’t have faith, devolve and live underground, just like the goblins in the story.
All in all, this book, to me, was a good read. It definitely would spark interest in young children even if the author has underlying messages. Like any good book, it should provoke thoughts and opinions, good or bad.
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