Themes
Appearance vs. Reality
Self-discovery
Loyalty & Betrayal
- Throughout the novel, a very obvious theme that is expresses is that of appearance vs. reality
- The first mention of this is the existence of London Below. Richard goes to London because it is a larger, more affluent city than his hometown. When he finds out about London Below, he however realizes that even in a city as beautiful as London, there is always a less aesthetically pleasing side.
- Many of the characters are not as they truly appear to be; mainly the Angel islington, Hunter, and the marquis de Carabas (some ended up being good, while others betrayed Door and Richard by the end)
Self-discovery
- At the beginning, Richard is unsure of who he is (see character). However, as the story progresses, he becomes familiar with different aspects of himself, many of which he hadn't expressed due to the face that he had so little opportunity for it.
- He becomes very brave and loyal. He also learned to stand up for himself, and realizes what he actually wants in life.
- T he marquis also develops as a character, becoming fiercely loyal to Door, and by extension, to Richard. Instead of only helping people as a repayment of a debt, the marquis is willing to die (on more that one occasion) in order for Door to be safe. He becomes very selfless by the end of the novel, and thinks of the good of others before his own well-being.
- Hunter is another character who demonstrates an amount of self-discovery. Instead of only thinking about herself, and her need to kill "big game" (especially the beast in the labyrinth,) she begins to care about other people.
Loyalty & Betrayal
- Richard's loyalty to Door is the most well shown in the novel. From the moment her meets her, he feels a degree of responsibility for her safety. As the story progresses, he realizes what type of person she is and becomes even more loyal to her than he initially was.
- The marquis de Carabas also changes his ways to become more loyal, even at the risk of bodily harm, as long as Door is all right. Hunter first betrays Richard, but in the end demonstrates her loyalty to Door (and indirectly Richard and the marquis.)
- The Angel Islington is not the good angel he appears to be and ends up betraying Door, several times, in an effort to fulfill his own needs.