How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"Do you, Despereaux Tilling, understand the sacred, never-to-be-broken rules of conduct for being a mouse?"
"Yes sir," said Despereaux, "I guess so. But…"
"Did you break them?"
"Yes, sir," said Despereaux. He raised his voice. "But… I broke the rules for good reasons. Because of music. And because of love." (10.38-41)
The Mouse Council isn't interested in nuance or motivation. They just see Despereaux as a rebel—a mouse who could endanger their entire community. Do you think rules should be bent for the sake of compassion? Are there times when it's wrong to follow the rules? What if they're bad rules?
Quote #5
How, he wondered, had things gone so terribly wrong? Wasn't it a good thing to love? In the story in the book, love was a very good thing Because the knight loved the fair maiden, he was able to rescue her. They lived happily ever after. It said so. In the book. (11.5)
Poor Despereaux simply does not understand how he could be sentenced to his death when all he ever did was love the princess. That certainly doesn't seem like a fair or reasonable punishment, given what he did. Should he be getting his rules from fairy tales, anyway?
Quote #6
"Do you own a girl?" said the soldier.
"I do," said Uncle. "A worthless one, but still, she is mine."
"Ah," said the soldier, "that, I am afraid, is against the law, too; no human may own another in the Kingdom of Dor." (28.16)
Hooray for the King of Dor for outlawing slavery and not just soup and rats. This is one principle Shmoop can get behind.