History Literature / TheCastleInTheAttic

** There is no CantRefuseTheCallAnymore, unless you consider William having been shrunk and leaving his world behind to be a form of death, but he certainly has the Road of Trials--see TheThreeTrials, wherein he encounters [[TricksterArchetype The Shapeshifter]] (Dick, [[ForcedTransformation against his will]]), the LeaveYourQuestTest (literally in the form of the forest's temptations, but a number of people try to convince him not to face the wizard), and in the castle itself, the Goddess in the form of Calendar (as [[TheHecateSisters the Crone]]).

* BalefulPolymorph: Alastor's spell of choice, when he doesn’t simply turn people to lead; both Dick and Calendar’s cat suffer this.

* EvilSorcerer: Alastor. While the reader never learns all he is capable of, the magical size-changing amulets which the entire story revolves around (as well as the alchemical disk that can turn someone to lead) were at least obtained and mastered by him, if not created. He also seems to specialize in BalefulPolymorph spells (turning [[spoiler:Calendar's cat]] into a dragon he enslaves to guard the castle gates and trapping Dick in the form of an old man as [[DisproportionateRetribution punishment]] for [[KickTheDog stealing food for his sick son]]). In addition, he employs curses (the spell on Dick is also woven to include an escape clause wherein only someone who climbs the apple tree for him, ''without'' looking down even once or giving in to temptation to eat the apple, can set him free, and the spell which causes any who are [[StayOnThePath tempted to leave the path through the forest]] to become lost forever is also his doing), and has a MagicMirror that forces any who look into it [[TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf to see their worst flaws and weaknesses]].

* GenreBlind: Simon, who seems to think he can sword train and thus defeat a wizard who has BalefulPolymorph and TakenForGranite spells. Also Alastor himself, who not only seems unaware of the PropheticFallacy but never foresees anyone figuring out how to defeat his dragon, that [[EvilCannotComprehendGood someone whose life he had ruined by banishing their beloved lord]] [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal might turn on him]], or that someone might not be laid low by the mirror.

** There is no CantRefuseTheCallAnymore, unless you consider William having been shrunk and leaving his world behind to be a form of death, but he certainly has the Road of Trials--see TheThreeTrials, wherein he encounters [[TricksterArchetype The Shapeshifter]] (Dick, [[BalefulPolymorph against his will]]), the LeaveYourQuestTest (literally in the form of the forest's temptations, but a number of people try to convince him not to face the wizard), and in the castle itself, the Goddess in the form of Calendar (as [[TheHecateSisters the Crone]]).

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Extremely different--you can be bathed by their fire unharmed so long as you stare into their eyes and never look away, but said eyes contain horrific visions designed to make you avert your gaze. And they are vulnerable only in the thigh, which once stabbed will place them under your control. Justified by it being the subject of a BalefulPolymorph whose rules were set by the twisted BigBad.

** The crime which gets Dick put under a BalefulPolymorph, the kind of tree which must be climbed, and the key which can free him, all revolve around...[[TemptingApple apples]].

** The only way to make it through TheLostWoods without [[HellIsThatNoise going mad from the noises]] made by [[NatureIsNotNice the animals]] is to distract yourself, whether with conversation or music...but as soon as you attempt to do that, either the monsters [[TheDarknessGazesBack try to scare you into looking away]] or illusions (both sight and sound) of [[YourHeartsDesire things you desperately long for]] appear to lure you away from the path.

* {{Symbolism}}: All over the place. The main bit of FunctionalMagic the plot revolves around, a pair of tokens which can shrink and enlarge living beings, bears the face of the god Janus who looks both ways in time--and he literally has two faces, a sneering one with staves to represent punishment and a smiling one with keys representing freedom. The token which turns people to lead, meanwhile, is [[UsefulNotes/{{Alchemy}} marked with the symbol of Saturn]]. This token, being a disk, could also be considered a [[EsotericMotifs coin]], fitting since lead comes from the earth... Mrs. Phillips is given the task of weaving the story of William's destiny on a tapestry. The song which William plays to get past the dragon is the Battle Hymn of the Republic (he is even said, when walking into the fire, to be walking into Hell). The crime which gets Dick put under a BalefulPolymorph, the kind of tree which must be climbed, and the key which can free him, all revolve around...[[TemptingApple apples]]. And of course there is the mirror, complete with what Alastor sees in it, and the FisherKing aspect of the story.

* DarkIsEvil[=/=]LightIsGood: Shadows give the Rat King his strength, size, and ability to mind control his horde; sunlight not only defeats him and breaks his spell, [[HolyBurnsEvil it burns him]] [[WeakenedByTheLight and turns him back into a regular rat.]]

* SelectiveObliviousness[=/=]SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids: William flirts with this idea in the sequel, trying to convince himself the adventure of the first book never happened, and/or that he had "outgrown the castle". He doesn't fool anyone, least of all the reader.

* FaceHeelTurn: Calendar. Originally a loyal courtier to the king, Sir Simon's nursemaid when he was a boy, and a dear friend when he was grown, she eventually sides with Alastor and becomes his servant and font of divination. (Whether she did this merely to save herself or because she had genuinely decided to turn against Simon is left unclear; see the YMMV tab.) In the present-day she has [[HeelRealization realized the error of her ways]] (or merely wants vengeance for Simon and Dick's fates), and thus acts as TheMole, [[HeelFaceTurn advising William]] on how to defeat the mirror, obtain the tokens, and bring Alastor down. In the end, [[BeAllMySinsRemembered despite believing she can never be forgiven for her actions]], she is welcomed back by Simon with open arms.

* EvilSorcerer: Alastor. While the reader never learns all he is capable of, the magical size-changing amulets which the entire story revolve around (as well as the alchemical disk that can turn someone to lead) were at least obtained and mastered by him, if not created. He also seems to specialize in BalefulPolymorph spells (turning [[spoiler:Calendar's cat]] into a dragon he enslaves to guard the castle gates and trapping Dick in the form of an old man as [[DisproportionateRetribution punishment]] for [[KickTheDog stealing food for his sick son]]). In addition, he employs curses (the spell on Dick is also woven to include an escape clause wherein only someone who climbs the apple tree for him, ''without'' looking down even once or giving in to temptation to eat the apple, can set him free, and the spell which causes any who are [[StayOnThePath tempted to leave the path through the forest]] to become lost forever is also his doing), and has a MagicMirror that forces any who look into it [[TheMirrorShowsYourTrueSelf to see their worst flaws and weaknesses]].

%%* BigBad: Alastor

%%* ChekhovsSkill: William's gymnastics, and his musical ability.

%* EvilChancellor: Alastor was this to the old king.
%%* EvilSorcerer: Alastor.
%%* FaceHeelTurn: Calendar.

** [[SoWhatDoWeDoNow Freedom to Live]]: This is what William grants to [[spoiler:Mrs. Phillips and]] himself by bringing back the Ultimate Boon, the other half of the token ([[RuleOfSymbolism marked with keys, no less]], which is lampshaded by William).

%%* TheMole: Calendar.

* RuleOfSymbolism: All over the place. The main bit of FunctionalMagic the plot revolves around, a pair of tokens which can shrink and enlarge living beings, bears the face of the god Janus who looks both ways in time--and he literally has two faces, a sneering one with staves to represent punishment and a smiling one with keys representing freedom. The token which turns people to lead, meanwhile, is [[UsefulNotes/{{Alchemy}} marked with the symbol of Saturn]]. This token, being a disk, could also be considered a [[EsotericMotifs coin]], fitting since lead comes from the earth... Mrs. Phillips is given the task of weaving the story of William's destiny on a tapestry. The song which William plays to get past the dragon is the Battle Hymn of the Republic (he is even said, when walking into the fire, to be walking into Hell). The crime which gets Dick put under a BalefulPolymorph, the kind of tree which must be climbed, and the key which can free him, all revolve around...[[TemptingApple apples]]. And of course there is the mirror, complete with what Alastor sees in it, and the FisherKing aspect of the story.

* SpannerInTheWorks: William himself.
* StayOnThePath: The only way to get through the forest surrounding the kingdom. Made harder as the forest itself is enchanted to lure travelers off the path with illusions of exits and lost friends.

* BigBad: Alastor

* [[ChekhovsSkill Chekhov's Skill]]: William's gymnastics, and his musical ability.

* EvilChancellor: Alastor was this to the old king.
* EvilSorcerer: Alastor.

* TheJester: William literally becomes one, Muggins, in order to infiltrate the wizard's castle, but also acts as one in a traditional and literary sense, being much wiser than his lord, commenting upon his failings (at least in his head) and eventually being Alastor's downfall. Another actual one, Deegan, is encountered in the sequel, and hews to the trope even more.

* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: The Rat King not only comes out of nowhere (aside from some early {{Foreshadowing}}) but his creation, source, and motivation (other than "kill all humans") is never explained. William theorizes it could be a case of AsLongAsThereIsEvil or an EvilPowerVacuum, but in the end the reader is left with a very unsettling lack of resolution. Whether this is a way to avoid pat endings and obvious answers or is meant as a SequelHook remains to be seen.

* FaceHeelTurn[=/=][[spoiler:ReverseMole]]: Calendar.

* GhostShip: Complete with [[SkeletonCrew a cargo of skeletons]], drifting ''against'' the current or not even moving at all, being a disturbing variation of the ClingyMacguffin, and stuffed to the brim with a horde of rats. NightmareFuel incarnate.

* CultureClash: Jason and William bring their bicycles along, and have to explain to the medievals what these "metal horses" are. PlayedForLaughs at first, but eventually both Tolliver and Gudrin learn to ride them, the former extremely well, thus proving they are ''[[AvertedTrope not]]'', in fact, MedievalMorons. The AnachronismStew this generates is actually quite tolerable, especially once everyone starts accepting the bikes as just another kind of transportation, and leads to quite the SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} during the [[HumiliationConga jousting scene]].

* {{Foreshadowing}}: William's mother mentioning the rat holes in the attic in the sequel...implying [[FridgeHorror just where the Rat King and his army came from]].

* NotAGame: William at first has to deal with Jason not understanding this; his [[WhatTheHellHero lecture]] regarding it (after Jason thoughtlessly [[spoiler:uses the token to shrink Deegan]]) is very effective, as well as showing [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome he's much more mature and awesome than he gives himself credit for]].

* ManlyTears: What William eventually concludes, that crying does not invalidate one's bravery and so is acceptable behavior after all.

* GenreSavvy: William has moments of this, such as when he reflects that "everybody in this country seemed eager to tell him not only what to do but how to do it", to the point that when Dick lays out the unnecessarily complicated way to defeat the dragon, he simply nods wearily in acceptance. His plan to use the villain's pride and vanity against him by disguising himself and seeking employment, counting on the fact [[BeneathSuspicion Alastor would never suspect a lowly fool]], is also quite clever.
* [[TheHerosJourney The Hero's Journey]]: As usual, Winthrop uses this to great effect since it is a fantasy book, but also subverts or alters the design a little along the way.

* PropheticFallacy: The legend above the castle gate says a boy will go with Simon to help him reclaim his kingdom. Alastor, believing himself GenreSavvy, eliminates Tolliver along with Simon and so thinks he has removed the threat, never considering there might be more than one boy traveling with or loyal to Simon...

* RuleOfSymbolism: All over the place. The main bit of FunctionalMagic the plot revolves around, a pair of tokens which can shrink and enlarge living beings, bears the face of the god Janus who looks both ways in time--and he literally has two faces, a sneering one with staves to represent punishment and a smiling one with keys representing freedom. The token which turns people to lead, meanwhile, is [[{{Alchemy}} marked with the symbol of Saturn]]. This token, being a disk, could also be considered a [[EsotericMotifs coin]], fitting since lead comes from the earth... Mrs. Phillips is given the task of weaving the story of William's destiny on a tapestry. The song which William plays to get past the dragon is the Battle Hymn of the Republic (he is even said, when walking into the fire, to be walking into Hell). The crime which gets Dick put under a BalefulPolymorph, the kind of tree which must be climbed, and the key which can free him, all revolve around...[[TemptingApple apples]]. And of course there is the mirror, complete with what Alastor sees in it, and the FisherKing aspect of the story.

* CultureClash: Jason and William bring their bicycles along, and have to explain to the medievals what these "metal horses" are. PlayedForLaughs at first, but eventually both Tolliver and Gudrin learn to ride them, the former extremely well, thus proving they are ''[[AvertedTrope not]]'', in fact, MedievalMorons. The AnachronismStew this generates is actually quite tolerable, especially once everyone starts accepting the bikes as just another kind of transportation, and leads to quite the CrowningMomentOfFunny during the [[HumiliationConga jousting scene]].

* NotAGame: William at first has to deal with Jason not understanding this; his [[WhatTheHellHero lecture]] regarding it (after Jason thoughtlessly [[spoiler:uses the token to shrink Deegan]]) is very effective, as well as showing [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome he's much more mature and awesome than he gives himself credit for]].

** There is no BellyOfTheWhale, unless you consider William having been shrunk and leaving his world behind to be a form of death, but he certainly has the Road of Trials--see TheThreeTrials, wherein he encounters [[TricksterArchetype The Shapeshifter]] (Dick, [[BalefulPolymorph against his will]]), the LeaveYourQuestTest (literally in the form of the forest's temptations, but a number of people try to convince him not to face the wizard), and in the castle itself, the Goddess in the form of Calendar (as [[TheHecateSisters the Crone]]).

* GhostShip: Complete with a cargo of skeletons, drifting ''against'' the current or not even moving at all, being a disturbing variation of the ClingyMacguffin, and stuffed to the brim with a horde of rats. NightmareFuel incarnate.

* RuleOfSymbolism: All over the place. The main bit of FunctionalMagic the plot revolves around, a pair of tokens which can shrink and enlarge living beings, bears the face of the god Janus who looks both ways in time--and he literally has two faces, a sneering one with staves to represent punishment and a smiling one with keys representing freedom. The token which turns people to lead, meanwhile, is [[{{Alchemy}} marked with the symbol of Saturn]]. This token, being a disk, could also be considered a [[EsotericMotifs coin]], fitting since lead comes from the earth... Mrs. Phillips is given the task of weaving the story of William's destiny on a tapestry. The song which William plays to get past the dragon is the Battle Hymn of the Republic (he is even said, when walking into the fire, to be walking into Hell). The crime which gets Dick put under a BalefulPolymorph, the kind of tree which must be climbed, and the key which can free him, all revolve around...[[HowDoYouLikeThemApples apples]]. And of course there is the mirror, complete with what Alastor sees in it, and the FisherKing aspect of the story.

* AlmostDeadGuy: The wounded fisherman who brings back news of the rat horde, then expires.

Though filled with genre tropes and in many respects formulaic, it is notable for its realistic narrative and dialogue, memorable characters, charming feel, and genuinely exciting adventure. The author has a definite artistry in her language that draws young readers in and even can still enspell older ones returning to it after many years. It is not surprising the book was a Children's Choice book and a winner of several awards such as the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award and the California Young Reader Medal. Even Madeline L'Engle and Lloyd Alexander recommended it.

* LivingToys: Initially it seems the story will play out this way, a la ''[[IndianInTheCupboard The Indian In the Cupboard]]'', but once William devises the idea to [[spoiler:shrink Mrs. Phillips, and then follow her]], this is [[HalfwayPlotSwitch quickly dispensed with]] in favor of a fantasy quest.

A beloved children's classic by Elizabeth Winthrop in the same vein as ''[[IndianInTheCupboard The Indian In the Cupboard]]'' and ''BridgeToTerabithia'', ''The Castle in the Attic'' tells the tale of William, a boy with "a gentle heart" that turns out to be [[TheChosenOne his special gift]], and how when he discovers the toy soldier in his model castle is actually Sir Simon of Hargrave, a knight par excellence, he becomes drawn into a world of magic, danger, and fantasy where only he can help bring down Alastor, the EvilSorcerer who is responsible for Simon's banishment and much worse besides. Oh, and Mrs. Phillips has a role to play too...