Character Clues

Character Analysis

Actions

Characters are definitely judged by their actions in this book—and not what people say of them. For example, the Queen may say that she's a good ruler, but her actions strongly suggest otherwise. She's allowed Fairyland to deteriorate, plus she steals both things and children from people. It's obvious that she's a pretty terrible person.

And on the flipside of that coin, the Queen accuses Tiffany of being coldhearted, but that's not true at all. Tiffany rushes into another world to retrieve her little brother—who she's not particularly fond of—all out of love for her family. She also does everything she can to protect and care for the Nac Mac Feegles. Tiffany is a loyal friend and family member, and she's obviously a good person no matter what the Queen says.

Family Life

Family relationships reveal a great deal about the characters in the book. Tiffany may not be close to her brother, but she'll still rush to save him—and she cares a lot about her parents and how they're doing. And the Nac Mac Feegles are certainly a close-knit clan of brothers. They'll follow each other into any battle and seem to have each other's backs no matter what. On the other hand, the Queen doesn't have a family life at all. She has no children and the king has abandoned her. She's alone, and doesn't care about anyone else at all.

Thoughts and Opinions

Because Tiffany possesses the Second and Third Thought, her thoughts matter a lot in this book and reveal a great deal about her, including her determination and her strong willpower. When we get an inner glimpse of Tiffany's inner life, we see how strong she is and how she'll go up against anything—even when she's completely terrified inside.

Tiffany also likes to challenge the status quo, which is why she wants to be come a witch. She doesn't buy into the idea of helpless princesses or anything like that. Instead she wants to be a smart, intelligent, independent girl who's taking care of the Chalk.