The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery:
The Beauty and Tragedy of Living Realistically
In The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, the two protagonists, similar in nature but living very separate lives search within themselves and through observing the residents of the hotel where they live for the meaning of life and death. Muriel Barbary reveals her ideas, or at least the ideas she intends to convey in this novel, of the true meaning of life through symbolizing the complexity of life and the deep-rooted beauty within people, as well as the parallel observations and discoveries of a young girl, Paloma, and brilliant concierge, Renee Michel. Toward the end of the novel, Renee’s character culminates in her ability to love and suddenly dies being hit by a truck after finding it; Paloma, after finding out …show more content…
This idea and other philosophical prospects are revealed through The Elegance of the Hedgehog as the two main characters unfold their thoughts onto paper and interact with their environment.
In the novel, twelve year old Paloma has plans to kill herself on her thirteenth birthday due to the materialistic nature of her family and the monotonous lives she observes everywhere around her. Renee, in comparison, is also misunderstood by the people around her, and the two of them reveal their intent to investigate (separately) the human truths which are overlooked every day. Going against society’s idea of what matters, they reveal the idea that what is important in life is love and the acknowledgement of beauty, both large and simple. Muriel Barbery reveals, through the growth in her character’s prospects and motivations, the idea that the inevitability of death and the constant presence of distraction in life makes it easy for people to ignore the parts of life that actually matter and die before they get the chance to discover them: “There is always the easy way out...I
The Beauty and Tragedy of Living Realistically
In The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, the two protagonists, similar in nature but living very separate lives search within themselves and through observing the residents of the hotel where they live for the meaning of life and death. Muriel Barbary reveals her ideas, or at least the ideas she intends to convey in this novel, of the true meaning of life through symbolizing the complexity of life and the deep-rooted beauty within people, as well as the parallel observations and discoveries of a young girl, Paloma, and brilliant concierge, Renee Michel. Toward the end of the novel, Renee’s character culminates in her ability to love and suddenly dies being hit by a truck after finding it; Paloma, after finding out …show more content…
This idea and other philosophical prospects are revealed through The Elegance of the Hedgehog as the two main characters unfold their thoughts onto paper and interact with their environment.
In the novel, twelve year old Paloma has plans to kill herself on her thirteenth birthday due to the materialistic nature of her family and the monotonous lives she observes everywhere around her. Renee, in comparison, is also misunderstood by the people around her, and the two of them reveal their intent to investigate (separately) the human truths which are overlooked every day. Going against society’s idea of what matters, they reveal the idea that what is important in life is love and the acknowledgement of beauty, both large and simple. Muriel Barbery reveals, through the growth in her character’s prospects and motivations, the idea that the inevitability of death and the constant presence of distraction in life makes it easy for people to ignore the parts of life that actually matter and die before they get the chance to discover them: “There is always the easy way out...I