Beauty

The most obvious theme in the novel is the emphasis placed on external beauty. Beauty is the Queen's most prized attribute and one that she will fight to the death defending. All throughout her life, the Queen has been told that she is ugly, meaningless, and worthless. Because of these years of abuse, she cannot comprehend why anyone would love her, let alone a King! When the Queen realizes that she is truly beautiful, she clings desperately to this fact, hoping the King will always love her for it. When the King dies, the Queen feels as if all control has been taken from her. Once again, she feels worthless and meaningless without his love. When she discovers that the face in the mirror is her father's, the Queen begins to subconsciously take control of her life again: "All those years ago, after her father's death, she had...