Uncle Philip's irony
He hates children, but makes a living and spends his entire time making toys for children. Uncle Philip is a living irony as his character is the least likely imagined character of a toy maker. Contrasting his toy shop, there are barely any toys in the house, and he refuses to give any of his toys to his nieces and nephew to play. His grim aura completely sucks out the joy of those who are around him, while being the man whose creations are made to bring joy. He treats toys as humans and humans as toys. He cradles and cherishes these inanimate objects while even threatening the lives of real humans around him and not showing any care because of it. In classical fairy tales, the villains at least have a, if not justifiable, then a reason worth some consideration for their malice, while the character of Uncle Philip has none other except childish jealousy.
The Magic Toyshop
The novel itself could be seen as an ironic reply to classical fairy tales. The main protagonist, the princess, of the novel is Melanie who at the loss of her parents becomes an orphan and is forced to live with her evil uncle. Uncle Philip is the villain of this fairy tale with a grim aura that keeps everyone in the house on edge. Finn and his siblings are portrayed as magical creatures, playing music and dancing together. Finn is far from being a Prince Charming; he is described as having a satyr-like seductive quality about him and Melanie is at once repulsed and seduced by him. The title of the novel itself ironically alludes to a classical fairy tale, with seemingly no connection to the plot. Uncle Philip's magic play with Melanie as a nymph and a toy swan takes a dark and twisted turn, further contributing to the fact that the novel itself is an ironic representation of a classical fairy tale.
