63 pages • 2 hours read
Stephanie GarberCaraval
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2017A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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BetaSymbols & Motifs
Scarlet Stone Earrings
The scarlet stone earrings act as a symbol of security and hope. Scarlett’s father gifted her mother, Paloma, the scarlet stone earrings, which Paloma later gave to Scarlett because they matched her name. The earrings aren’t worth much, but they mean everything to Scarlett because the earrings are a relic of a time when her family was together and stable. By reminding Scarlett of a secure past, the earrings also give Scarlett hope for a better future. When the man in the bowler hat steals her earrings, Scarlett panics, despite the fact that she is not a materialistic person. By losing this item, she loses the only proximity she has to her mother and the only tangible proof that her family once functioned as a loving unit. When Julian recovers the earrings, he restores her sense of safety and hope. She feels safe with Julian, who cares enough about her to go through the trouble of retrieving the earrings, and there’s hope for the future when she has someone who loves her enough to get them back.
Balconies
Balconies appear as a motif all over in the world in the Caraval and hint at the theme that some things are worth risk. Rosa and Tella both fall to their deaths from balconies, and though their deaths are literal, there is meaning behind them: with death comes a new point in the life cycle. Rosa’s death supposedly drives Legend to forfeit his villainous ways and be reborn as someone open to trying to do some good. Tella’s death forces Scarlett’s rebirth into the person she always wanted to be. She stands up to her father and claims her freedom. Balconies are the edge between domestic space and open air and, therefore, act as the transition point between being trapped and free. Crossing the ledge of a balcony is obviously inadvisable and not the core message; it’s the idea behind that act: even though it can be frightening and have a cost, crossing that boundary can be worth the risk. For example, if Tella didn’t die, Scarlett would never truly live.
Roses
Roses are a motif throughout the novel that speak to the theme: everything isn’t what it seems. At first, Scarlett finds the roses from Legend charming. Much like many other aspects of Caraval, the lovely roses have thorns when looking beyond the surface level. This motif addresses the problem with Scarlett’s initial plan to escape her father’s grasp: While her mysterious fiancé seems elegant and charming through his letters, this is only the surface of his character, which Scarlett later discovers when he helps her father. As Scarlett becomes more involved in the world of Caraval and therefore more skeptical of its magic, her perception of the roses shifts. Eventually, she becomes so disgusted by them as a sign of Legend’s presence that she smashes a vase of them.
Roses also feature in the story about Rosa, which is also not what it seems. Scarlett thinks she has unraveled this history about Legend’s past with her grandmother and how he is scheming for revenge. She only sees the thorns, but when she discovers Tella has plotted the whole game, she at last sees the petals. Everything isn’t what it seems. The world of Caraval is slippery, and roses, a constant in the story, shift meanings as the context surrounding them changes.
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By Stephanie Garber
