A book I read this summer was ‘Heartless’ by Marissa Meyer. It centres around the story of the cruel and ruthless ‘Queen of Hearts’ featured in Lewis Carrol’s book ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Meyer’s tells the tale of an ordinary girl, Catherine before she transforms into the ‘Queen of Hearts’.
Anyone who has watched the movie adaptation of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will most likely remember the classic, “off with you head!” This has become one of my favourite books because it borrows a character with a reputation of being callous and unforgiving, and introduces her story from a completely different perspective. As readers, when we learn of the hurdles and injustice she suffered growing up, and go through them with her, we began not only to see her in a completely new light but also began to root for her. Eventually by the end, it becomes easy to sympathize with her and make excuses for the heartless and vindictive decisions she makes.
Personally, one of the most unique aspect of this book for me, was that it showcased a perspective of a character that was generally hated by everyone and by the end compelledme to adore her. Many times in life, we automatically judge people by certain actions of theirs and put labels on them. I myself was guilty of simply dismissing the ‘Queen of Hearts’ as power hungry and assuming that she was cruel without reason, when I first learnt of her. However, the truth is that we cannot even begin to imagine everyone’s entire story. Therefore, the image of others that may be presented to us may not always be completely accurate. What’s more, while we may simply assume the motivation behind their actions, it is very possible that we are blissfully unaware of the truth. Catherine started off as an ordinary girl with a dream and whole life ahead of her, only to be sucked into an unfortunate whirlwind. I think ‘Heartless’ displays two very important ideas. The first that people do grow and change over time, and the second that it is always important to know the entire truth before we decide to label them.
Sounds interesting Shruti. Do you think the novel was making a point about the representation of women more broadly?
Yes, its possible that the novel was making a point about the representation of women more broadly. In the past (and perhaps even today), many people believed that women were quite impulsive, rash, and silly – without good reason. Consequently, they were treated as though they were irresponsible and unable to make important decisions – even those that directly impacted them. An example of this is during the 19th century in Norway. In his play, ‘A Doll’s House’, playwright Henrik Ibsen showcases the patriarchal structure of the time. Nora, the central character and housewife is constantly critiqued for the same faults and her behaviour is viewed as ‘childlike’ by her husband and other characters. However, as the play progresses we learn that this is not true. Her husband, Torvald is simply unable to understand her perspective and lives in his own world – an illusion he has created. In the same way, the Queen of Hearts is also viewed as rash and unreasonable by her subjects because they cannot comprehend the reasons behind her actions.