Pretty Monsters Symbolism

An object portrayed in a story can have different interpretations from our own knowledge. Symbolism is prevalent in all stories and the author places them to give the reader an underlying deeper meaning. They contribute to the themes and main ideas while adding context to the story. In Kelly Link’s book, Pretty Monsters is a symbol that persisted in every story, however the symbol displayed itself in many different aspects. The moral of the symbol addressed that not everything presented in front of someone is how they actually seem, which deceives the reader. In the story, The Cinderella Game, it presented a contradicting and chilling twist to the title because of the character Darcy. While identifying Darcy, she seems to be a spoiled child …show more content…
Often the thought of a princess has been of delicacy, innocence, kindness, and have a great heart with good intentions, however Darcy played the complete opposite. “Darcy had a closet with just princess dresses in it. And tiaras. And fairy wands. And fairy wings” (395). Performing the act of being the standard eight year old living in a fairy tale dream but also contradicting her true form. The significance that portrays in the story of princesses and Darcy is that she is the complete opposite of what a princess is, despite of all the princess dresses she owns. As evil as Darcy may seem, she is also a mastermind covering her tracks by deceiving her whole family with her innocence. In spite of Peter having his leg stabbed with a fork by Darcy, he played along feeding in that she is in fact innocent in the eyes of their parents. The story also stated “ He saw that she still had a smear of his blood on her hand… She wiped her hand against the princess dress until there was nothing left to see”(404). As for any siblings, blood related or not, no one wants to come in contact with any trouble when it comes to parents because of the consequences. There seems to be fear in Peter’s eyes from what Darcy seems to be capable of and lastly adding her act of wiping her bloody hand until there wasn’t any more …show more content…
Darcy has abandonment issues from her biological mother leaving her, she had no intention of playing games with Peter and instead was to hurt him. Both of their parents weren’t home at the time and that’s when Darcy plotted the perfect attack on her stepbrother. Darcy explains to her stepmother “Mommy, it was cinderella because I couldn’t sleep… Peter and I were just playing a game. I was the evil stepsister” (404). Darcy transforms from being a disturbed girl to an innocent girl at a blink of an eye. Darcy’s step mother believed her, because she thinks of her step daughter as an innocent little girl and nothing less. Throughout the story, Darcy’s appearance remained to be filthy looking which is peculiar since her father is wealthy. Princesses are well kept and are at the least hygienic which Darcy was not, story stating “Her hair was black and knotted and stringy” (393) and “Her ratty hair all in her face” (402). As innocent as she wants to present herself to be, she shows physical characteristics of dirtiness inside and out. As much as Darcy wants to hide it, her true self will still be there no matter how much effort she tries to conceal her unattractive