Chicel's Moving Castle Sophie Hatter Quotes

When a person is born, sometimes immovable and disappointing expectations come into existence with them. Sophie Hatter from Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a character that experiences this and takes it to heart. Sophie Hatter is the eldest daughter of her family, and with that information, she is seen as the child who is meant to fail in life. Usually, a person will try to overcome these expectations, but Sophie takes them to heart and goes and lives her life according to these beliefs. However, as the reader is thrown into the story of growth and fantasy, it is clear to see that Sophie may be timid and dull at first, but she is willing to protect anyone that she loves, go to great lengths to help others, and change who she is

However, even though this land may have such magical qualities, it is miserable to be born the eldest. Sophie is the eldest of three sisters; with that information, she is seen as the one who will fail first. Jones makes this ideology evident in Sophie's character by showcasing Sophie's actions and her effects on her siblings and herself. At the beginning of the story, Jones introduces all three sisters by explaining to each other their desires and roles in the family. Sophie went to one of the best schools and is seen as very studious, but she "very soon realized how little chance she had of an interesting future" but was happy enough to look after her sisters and help them find success even though she knew that she would never find it herself (Jones 2). Sophie is a very studious character, and this counteracts the idea that she will never find success. Sophie

However, as the story progresses, Sophie becomes more used to danger and eventually falls in love with someone who is the epitome of danger. Jones showcases this through the use of actions, thoughts, and speech. At the story's beginning, Sophie is busy making hats when she hears gossip from customers about the deranged and dangerous Wizard Howl and his moving castle. Sophie heard many rumors and believed them. She heard people say that Howl steals young girls and sucks their souls from them or eats their hearts. She also heard that "he was an utterly cold-blooded and heartless wizard, and no young girl was safe from him if he caught her on her own" (Jones 5). After hearing all this, Sophie thinks she must stay in the hat shop to avoid danger because the shop is her responsibility. This, by itself, shows how she does not have the right thoughts regarding danger. Her thoughts show that she only stays away from it to ensure the hat shop is successful. Once Sophie realizes that she will stay away from the moving castle, she spends all her time in the hat shop and eventually loses herself. However, when Sophie becomes cursed and leaves the hat shop searching for a cure to the curse, she stumbles upon the moving castle and thinks that Howl probably will not take her soul because she is no longer a young girl. When she comes to that conclusion, she "[rasies] her stick and waves