Circus Mirandus

“And at that moment, thousands of miles away in the tent of the Man Who Bends Light, a messenger woke up.”

The magical connection between the messenger and Ephraim’s message introduces the theme of Mystery and Magic. Ephraim is connected to magic, although the reader doesn’t understand the identity of the Man Who Bends Light or his messenger. This vagueness creates tension and intrigue.

“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.