Circus Mirandus

“Those two were basically chocolate cakes and warm sweaters on the inside. Micah’s great-aunt, Gertrudis, was not.”

Micah’s preconceived stereotypes about old women are informed by his neighbors, Mrs. Yolane and Mrs. Rochester, who are characterized as gentle and kind by being likened to warm sweaters and chocolate cakes. Their characterization serves as a point of contrast with Gertrudis, who is characterized as harsh, mean, and strict.

“She wore her dust-colored hair twisted into a bun so tight it almost pulled her wrinkled skin smooth, and she starched her shirts until the collars were stiff enough to cut. She made black tea every day in a bright steel kettle. The tea was scalding and bitter, a lot like her, and she wouldn’t let Micah add sugar because she said bad teeth ran in the family.”

Gertrudis’s clothes—her starched shirts and tight bun—are an indirect characterization tool that alludes to her severe and strict manner. Furthermore, her bitterness as a person is mirrored in her bitter tea.

“The things that had once covered the fridge—a recipe for Double Chocolate Brownies, alphabet magnets, a picture of an elephant Micah had drawn when he was seven—had all been papered over with medicine schedules and receipts and Aunt Gertrudis’s calorie chart.”

The changes to the Tuttle fridge are symbolic of the changes to the household in a broader sense. What was once a place of fun, creativity, and joy—represented in drawings, the recipe, and the magnets—has become strict. The household is tainted both by Ephraim’s illness and Gertrudis’s controlling and unpleasant presence. Ephraim’s and Gertrudis’s opposing priorities illustrate the theme of Imagination Versus Rigidity.

“He looked as he had for centuries.”

The magical nature of the Lightbender, and the circus more broadly, is alluded to in his unchanged appearance, highlighting the theme of mystery and magic. The members of the circus are magically immortal; the reader later learns that this is the influence of Mr. Head, the circus manager, who magically preserves the health and well-being of his employees.

“The tray rattled as he plunked the creamer onto it. ‘Who could possibly…?’ He looked sharply at her. ‘It wasn’t Victoria. Was it?’

Chintzy honk-snorted at him. It was her favorite rude sound. ‘Of course not! After all these years? Not that I would deliver a message for her anyway. Not after what she did.’

‘I suppose that is for the best. Who sent the message?’”

The mysterious character of Victoria is introduced, although no context is provided in terms of who she is or what her connection to the circus is. Later, the reader learns that Victoria, who used to perform at Circus Mirandus as The Great Amazonian Bird Woman, married Ephraim and therefore is Micah’s grandmother. The mystery surrounding her identity relates to the theme of mystery and magic.

“Jenny bit her lip. ‘Micah? You know magic isn’t real. Right?’”

Jenny’s character arc illustrates the theme of imagination versus rigidity. Initially, Jenny insists that magic isn’t real. Later, she will have to reevaluate her understanding of the world when she goes to Circus Mirandus with Micah and sees inconceivable, unbelievable sights.

“But as he followed the sound of pipes and drums over the final dune, he saw that town was a good deal farther away than it ought to have been, as though it had been conjured to a new location over the course of the morning. A misty green meadow now rested between the dunes and the run-down buildings. Large round tents with pointed tops were scattered in a haphazard circle in the middle of the green.”

Circus Mirandus continues to epitomize mystery and magic. It can appear within existing spaces, disguised from those who will not believe in it. The circus’s ability to insert itself into spaces is illustrated in the appearance of the new meadow.

“Ephraim often noticed children wearing strange clothes or speaking with unfamiliar accents at the circus.”

As Ephraim continues to explore the circus, its connection to mystery and magic deepens. The circus is not limited by rules of geography or distance but presents itself at the same moment to children from different races, countries, and backgrounds. This is illustrated by Ephraim noticing children with unfamiliar clothes and accents.

“She blinked sleepily. ‘I’m glad Mrs. Stark made us partners.’ Something warm uncurled in Micah’s chest. ‘Me too, Jenny.’”

Jenny’s comment highlights The Importance of Loving Friends and Family. It means a lot to Micah, who feels “something warm” in his chest, revealing that he feels comforted and flattered by her comment. The two friends will continue to operate as important sources of support and kindness for each other.

“Ephraim carried the Lightbender’s shows inside him. A world that had such magic in it must not be as awful as he had sometimes feared. Having experienced it, he thought he might be able to leave his beach behind and be brave while he waited for his father’s real homecoming. Maybe, he could even go back to school.

What Ephraim wanted, more than anything else in his last days at Circus Mirandus, was simple but impossible. He wanted to walk up to the Lightbender after the show. He wanted to stick out his hand and say, ‘Thank you. My name is Ephraim Tuttle, and you have changed me.’”

The power and importance of the Lightbender’s show in instilling wonder and hope is illustrated in Ephraim’s gratitude to the Lightbender, who finds the difficulties of his life bearable after seeing it. The experience shapes Ephraim’s life and keeps him connected to his childish sense of wonder, joy, and magic.

“The Lightbender rubbed the side of his nose. ‘I am not always sure how far I should take my illusions. I don’t want to do more harm than good.’”

The Lightbender worries that his illusions might mislead individuals about his power. This foreshadows Micah’s later belief that the Lightbender can cure Ephraim; he cannot do this, as he is only an illusionist.

“Circus Mirandus had rarely been as stirred up as it was on its first night in Peal. Most of the performers still didn’t know why they had been dropped onto a new continent so unexpectedly.”

Circus Mirandus has magically and abruptly relocated to a new continent to accommodate Micah’s visit. Mystery and magic continues to operate as a pivotal theme in Circus Mirandus’s existence and operation. The circus routinely travels around the world, so the fact that the performers feel “stirred up” by this sudden move suggests that Micah’s attendance at the circus is special.

“You couldn’t buy a ticket to Circus Mirandus. It wasn’t that kind of place. Micah understood this even if Jenny didn’t. She was already arguing with Geoffrey about the definition of the words ‘legal tender for all debts.’ Apparently, they were stamped on the five-dollar bill in her hand.”

Jenny applies the principles of logic and order to Circus Mirandus, which is inappropriate given that the circus is ruled by magic and by child-like principles, as is illustrated when Ephraim enters with a fish, which is deemed to be a week-long ticket. In terms of the theme of imagination versus rigidity, Jenny is still overly strict and close-minded in her thought processes at this point in the novel, which prevents her from appreciating Circus Mirandus’s strange wonder.

“Micah nibbled his own as they headed deeper into the circus and found that his was mango-flavored. Like the ones Grandpa Ephraim tasted, he reminded himself.”

Micah’s visit to Circus Mirandus feels connected, through fate and destiny, to the earlier visit of his grandfather Ephraim, when Ephraim was also 10. The connection between past and present continues to be explored; solutions to current problems will reveal themselves in the events of the past—such as Ephraim organizing for Micah to live at Circus Mirandus, just as Ephraim himself wished to do.

“A jolt of electricity crackled up Micah’s back. But Victoria was a common name, he reminded himself. Of course it was just a coincidence.”

The mystery of “Victoria” continues to be explored in this passage. Micah hears his grandmother’s name at the circus, and the feeling of recognition and intuition is metaphorically akin to a “jolt of electricity.” Although Micah tries to reason with himself that it is a coincidence, the strong reaction that he has to the name suggests that it is not a coincidence.

“Jenny frowned. ‘That pony is precious, but I really don’t think they should dye its hair like that. It can’t be healthy.’

‘Indeed,’ said a deep voice behind them. ‘Fortunately, Terpsichore comes by that color naturally, as do most unicorn foals.’”

The theme of imagination versus rigidity continues to be explored through Jenny, who assumes that all the animals at the circus are regular animals masquerading as magical animals; this illustrates her close-mindedness to magic. Mr. Head, who overhears their conversation, is offended by her skepticism, as it is his life’s work to nurture children’s belief in magic.

“Someone with her skills squandering their time to make a tent full of children, most of whom were unremarkable in every way, happy? It was absurd. The fact that a whole circus full of magicians was dedicated to that goal? Practically criminal.”

Victoria, who is characterized as an arrogant and conceited character by her inner monologue, was initially motivated to join Circus Mirandus because she is flattered by the attention and celebrity status that performing brings her. She soon tires of it because this motivation is insincere. Her perspective on the circus establishes her as a foil to the Lightbender, who sees the inherent value in instilling magic and joy in children.

“‘But you are falling, Victoria,’ the Man Who Bends Light said in a soft voice. ‘Did you think you could fly?’

Magic. Faith. Mr. Head thought it ironic that Victoria had never made the connection. Nobody had ever touched magic without believing that they might be able to do so. And very few people could believe in something if the Man Who Bends Light wanted them to think it wasn’t true.

Victoria dropped like a stone.”

The Lightbender causes Victoria to lose her powers by placing doubt in her mind about them. This illustrates the role that faith plays in magic. Victoria’s sudden loss of magic is akin to the fact that only the children who believe in the possibility of magic can hear the music of Circus Mirandus. Victoria’s fall is both physical and metaphorical, as she falls from grace at the circus and loses the ability she cherished.

“He bent to pick up a handful of sand, and he let it run slowly through his fingers. It’s got to be real. His thoughts sounded desperate even to himself. It can’t feel like this and not be real.

Eventually, the pyramid faded out of existence, and he found himself standing at the edge of a lake. It was nighttime, and fireworks exploded overhead. The air smelled like gunpowder.

Micah’s hands were empty.”

When the sand runs out of his hands and is no longer there when the scene shifts, Micah realizes that the Lightbender creates illusions rather than actually altering the world. He begins to realize in this moment that the Lightbender cannot save Ephraim.

“They ate popcorn and malted-milk balls and shared the biggest orange soda the theater sold. It was so big that they couldn’t finish it in one movie.

So they stayed for another.”

Ephraim prioritizes fun and joy in Micah’s childhood. This is illustrated in their last night together. Ephraim continues to be symbolically aligned with the child-like, imaginative, and joyful world of Circus Mirandus.

“‘And you’re going to be a magician?’ Gertie asked for the third time that afternoon. ‘You’ll do tricks with your knots in front of hundreds of people?’

‘I will,’ said Ephraim. ‘If they’ll have me. I’m going to ask the Lightbender to teach me magic properly.’”

Gertrudis, who was known as Gertie as a child, used to have faith in magic, illustrated by her excitement in asking her older brother repeatedly about Circus Mirandus. Her character arc illustrates the theme of imagination versus rigidity; Gertrudis used to be imaginative but became rigid in her ideas as she grew up, especially due to the influence of Victoria.

“Circus Mirandus exists to nurture magic, to keep it alive in the world beyond our gates.”

The Lightbender explains the motivation behind Circus Mirandus: to instill a belief in magic in the world through the children who attend. The Lightbender believes that this is a noble and worthwhile goal and therefore has been a part of Circus Mirandus for centuries. His perspective on magic highlights the theme of mystery and magic.

“Jenny promised to call Micah on the phone all the time.

Aunt Gertrudis sniffed. ‘We can’t afford the long-distance fees.’”

Gertrudis’s comment to Jenny illustrates her miserliness and unkindness. Micah has just lost his primary caregiver and is being taken from his community of friends, but she is more concerned about the cost of long-distance phone calls than allowing him to keep in touch with his friend.