White Mountains Blog Post (The Castle of the Red Tower)

"The bitter thing was all the spirit, all the gallantry, was wasted. For even more than inferiors, they accepted and looked forward to being Capped. It was a part of becoming a knight, or of turning from a girl to lady. Thinking of this, I saw how good things could be meaningless in isolation. What value did courage have, without a free and challenging mind to direct it?" (p. 111)


This story's theme is freedom, and Will's mighty struggle with himself here shows it. At this point of the story, (The Castle of the Red Tower) Will is in two minds: Does he want to continue the journey to the White Mountains with Beanpole and Henry, or does he want to live comfortably with the Comte and Comtesse at the Castle of the Red Tower? Of course, as an outsider, the automatic choice would be to continue the journey to the White Mountains. But to Will, it's a difficult choice. There are many things in the Castle that he enjoys, such as being treated as the Comte and Comtesse's son, the time he spends with their daughter, Eloise, and the luxury he is offered while living in the Castle. He could have all that, and a lot more... if he stays in the Castle. If he continues the journey, he would have to face all sorts of difficulties - no more luxury, no one to treat him lovingly, etc. To Will, staying in the Castle would be the ideal choice, that is, if he had not had some doubts and questions in his head about Capping, for that was his fate if he stayed in the Castle. He reviews both options and their advantages as well as their disadvantages. Some concerns he had about being Capped was giving up his hope of freedom. He thought that travelling to the White Mountains was better than being an important man living at the Castle, a happy man, but controlled by the Tripods. He recalls his doubts of Capping from the beginning of the journey; and, when the Cap was put on, the doubts vanished. He finds himself wondering if it is a loss at all. And when the Watch slipped from his wrist, he finds himself thinking what he had first thought what the Comtesse and the others would think about it. ("I had thought at first that the Comtesse and the others might be curious about it and want to know how a boy had come by such a possession; but they had shown no interest at all in it. They kept no relics of the skill or the ancients, and time meant nothing to them." 125) They had seen it, but did not show any interest in it at all, being controlled by the Tripods. They could not think, or feel, or love, for themselves. They were just robots being controlled by Tripods. In short, Will knew that if he was Capped, there would be no more freedom; he would always be happy, but never free. When Will finally makes his decision to leave, he decides it is most important to be free. He knows that there is nothing for him at the Castle, after Eloise has been Capped. He finds out that Eloise is devoted to the Tripods, and did not care about him as he had thought. He finally realizes that he is better off free. This shows Will's struggle to freedom, and of course, he achieves it.