There's a pretty intense pull between good and evil in Splendors and Glooms, with Grisini representing pure evil while the children—especially Lizzie Rose and Clara—represent all that's good in the world. Grisini is a powerful, evil magician who can turn children into puppets, and the children are often worried they'll never get out of his grasp.
But, in the end, Clara manages to break his spell with her love for Parsefall and Lizzie Rose. She doesn't want her friends to be cursed by the phoenix-stone, so she turns herself back into a little girl and steals the stone herself, even managing to destroy it—something that a super powerful witch like Cassandra couldn't do. Pretty impressive, huh?
Questions About Good vs. Evil
- How does Clara overcome Grisini at the end of the book? What does this tell you about the limits of evil's power?
- How does Cassandra's better nature win out over her mean spirit at the end? What brings on this change?
- Does Lizzie Rose ever feel tempted to do something bad? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Although Parsefall wants to steal the phoenix-stone in order to make Grisini suffer, in the end, good wins out because Clara steals it in order to save him from the curse and is able to destroy the thing once and for all.
With the tough life she's led, Lizzie Rose could have easily become jaded and started to cheat and steal her way through life, but she fights against that urge. She always chooses the right thing—even if it's the harder route to take.