"I've been wondering all along if you would turn out to be that lovely girl I met on May Day. Why were you so scared then?"
Once upon a time, there lived a teenage girl in the magical kingdom of Ingary. She was eighteen years of age. She was the eldest of three sisters. It was told that the oldest child won't be successful. She was resigned to the fact that she won't seek her fortune elsewhere. And then a mix-up.
"Howl's Moving Castle" (1986) was the most popular book of Diana Wynn Jones. She became renowned for fantasy novels for young readers, and this one didn't differ much from her other works. It was about love. It was about courage as well. It would be about destiny too. These themes could remind some readers of Victorian literature, but Jones thought of different genres. A possible pun on L. Frank Baum. A reference to Lewis Carroll. And how J. R. R. Tolkien might have inspired the Londoner. Don't suspect Jones of lacking in originality, as the moving castle would be a metaphor. It could be interpreted in many ways. There were several reasons to read this novel. (And read it again and again.) Let's have a look at it:
Ingary could be England. The inhabitants of Ingary lived by fairytale tropes, where a magician's apprentice could be seen as a respectable profession. Sophie Hatter, the heroine of this beguiling tale, often talked to hats. She worked in a hat shop, so it would be natural. But readers would notice the subtle lines, where the hats seemed to come to life. Sophie wasn't aware of her magical capabilities, and how it could change her life. This won't be different from medieval England during King Arthur's heyday, even Middle-earth. Perhaps British writers looked at a rainy day as a surreal moment.
Howl would turn out to be a gentle lad in disguise. This young wizard was a skirt chaser, and he would cultivate it. This was the only way to avoid the responsibility of being a royal magician. He lived in an unkempt castle, but vanity was one of his virtues. Readers would be put off by their first impression of Howl, but they have a change of heart before the story reached its midpoint. Howl, who was supposed to be an evil magician, could be a charming lad. And it turned out that he let someone kept his good heart. He might be a dapper gentleman in another life. Cary Grant perhaps.
Youth vs. old age. The Witch of the Waste turned Sophie from an 18-year-old girl into a 90-year-old woman. It didn't take long for Miss Hatter to figure out that this a blessing in disguise. This gave her the courage to seek her fortune elsewhere, even if it meant barging into someone's home under false pretenses. Some would point out that this what traveling could do. The (moving) castle wasn't far from Sophie's hometown, but it changed her life completely. It won't be a case of restlessness, even indecisiveness. It was rather a familiar passage.
The best things in life could be inexpensive. The British sense of humor could be felt in many pages, but the characters weren't in the mood to pull a leg. Many readers won't sense it, though. They couldn't be blamed, as they were lovesick.
Sophie could impart a few lessons. Everything happened for a reason. You were the master of your own fate. If you won't make a move, then nothing would happen.
