Presence
The novel starts with a description of a crowd, which stands in front of the circus’s gate. The narrator also includes a reader in the crowd: “you are amongst them.” The reader stands there, because “curiosity got better of you.” The author also gives a brief description of the surrounding,s mentioning that “you stand in the fading light, the scarf around your neck pulled up against evening breeze, waiting to see for yourself exactly what kind of circus only opens when the sun sets.” This image helps to create a feeling that you—the reader—are a part of the story: it gives a feeling of personal presence.
An Unusual Circus
The circus described in the novel is an unusual one. There is no need to expect bright colors, for “the towering tents are striped in white and black, no gold and crimsons to be seen.” The place seems to look rather strange: there are “no colors at all, save for the neighboring trees and the grass of the surrounding fields.” Beyond the lack of color is the sheer size of the circus: “countless tents of varying shapes and sizes, with an elaborate wrought-iron fence encasing them in a colorless world.” This image helps the reader to understand why all people in the crowd are so fascinated and intrigued by this world.
An Orphan
A reader meets Marco for the very first time in an orphanage. He is just a little boy, but there is something interesting and strange about him. He “doesn’t fidget as much as the first boy did.” Marco “sits quietly and patiently, his grey-green eyes taking in every detail of the room.” Quietness and motionlessness are unnatural for children; therefore, Marco’s stillness makes us suspect that this boy is not an average boy. To underline that Marco is the orphan, the author mentions that “his dark hair is badly cut” and his “ clothes are ragged but well-kept, though his pants are too short." This image helps to intrigue the reader, for this boy seems to be too serious and contemplative for a child. The description of his bad haircut and ragged clothes evokes a feeling of sadness and abandonment.
Circus Attractions
Morgenstern uses her sumptuous prose to depict the circus's many attractions. She makes an impression on the reader through the creativity expressed in places like The Ice Garden, The Cloud Maze, The Labyrinth, and more. The details beguile the reader and make them feel as if they were touring the circus, just like the characters. It is usually Bailey whom readers follow through the tents, and his wide-eyed wonder mirrors that of the reader. Morgenstern is fond of descriptive language, metaphor, and short, ambiguous sentences that leave the reader wanting more and imagining the scene in their mind.
