73 pages • 2 hours read
Howl’s Moving Castle
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Symbols & Motifs
Sophie’s Walking Stick
Though originally a simple stick Sophie finds the day she leaves Market Chipping as an old woman, Sophie’s magical ability of talking things to life eventually turns the stick into a kind of wand. Mrs. Pentstemmon says “I like your gift […] It brings life to things, such as that stick in your hand, which you have evidently talked to, to the extent that it has become what the layman would call a magic wand” (236). As Sophie’s talks more to her stick over the course of the novel, Sophie invests more magic in it. Sophie’s walking stick serves as a symbol for her growing magical ability as well as a symbol of Sophie’s reluctance to admit these abilities to herself until she has no choice but to do so during the battle with Miss Angorian.
The Scarecrow
Similar to Sophie’s walking stick, the scarecrow symbolizes Sophie’s fear in acknowledging that she possesses magical abilities. When Sophie first encounters the scarecrow on her way out of Market Chipping (quite soon before finding the walking stick), Sophie talks to it (38). This inadvertently gives the scarecrow an extra breath of life to resume its mission. When the scarecrow appears later in the novel at the castle door or hopping down the street in Market Chipping toward the flower shop, Sophie is terrified of it. When Sophie faces her feelings regarding magic, her love for Howl, and her acceptance of herself, the scarecrow is no longer frightening to her.
Howl’s Heart
Howl’s physical heart was given to Calcifer when Howl found him as a fallen star. The contract between Howl and Calcifer required Howl to lend his heart to Calcifer; this act of selflessness nevertheless causes Howl a lot of emotional turmoil. Howl’s heart then symbolizes Howl’s ability to love and care for people while challenging him to be vulnerable. Because his heart is accessible to anyone who enters the castle, Howl’s heart is vulnerable. Because Howl’s body is missing its heart, he struggles to fall in love with the women he is interested in until Sophie comes along and speaks to his heart directly through Calcifer.
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