Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving castle by Diana Wynne Jones, is a great Young Adult literature. How this relates to digital culture is the major theme that the book holds. The main character Sophie struggles with her life because she was told that the oldest was destined to be a failure in life. So she learned to accept it.

“Sophie was the most studious. She read a great deal, and very soon realized how little chance she had at an interesting future. It was a disappointment to her, but she was still happy enough, looking after her sisters and grooming Martha to seek her fortune when the time came… Lettie was by no means resigned to being the one who, next to Sophie, was bound to be the least sucesssful” (2).

After her acceptance, she becomes her "identity". “…she at last put a gray shawl over her gray dress and went out into the street, Sophie did not feel exited. She felt overwhelmed… the past months of sitting and sewing had turned her into an old woman or a semi-invalid” (13).

Then once Sophie becomes cursed by the witch of the waste, her true character comes out. “It was odd. As a girl, Sophie would have shriveled with embarrassment at the way she was behaving. As an old woman, she did not mind what she did or said. She found that a great relief” (64).  

While contemplating what this text has to do with digital culture, a realization of avatars came into play. Sophie was living a life that was expected of her. She was expected to fail, and she came to accept that life. Once she was placed under a spell, or in digital culture terms, given an avatar. Sophie was able to step outside of her skin and develop her character. She never spoke out or went against what others had to say like Lettie. She had become more outspoken and expressed herself more. Her avatar was what freed her from the conservative life that she was expected to live. This is what freed her. 

Avatars can either free you or enslave you. In Sophie's case it helped her to be a stronger person. There are various examples where Sophie continuously lacked confidence, but at the same time she believed that being an old woman was what freed her from making mistakes in life. Just like an avatar would because of the anonymous nature of avatars. 

Examples of where Sophie felt being the eldest was hopeless: 

“It comes of being the eldest… You just can’t win!” (191).

“but I think it’s being the eldest, really. Look at me! I set out to seek my fortune and I end up exactly where I started, and old as the hills still!” (263)

“Sophie’s too kind herself to see how heartless Howl is!” (279).

“I am an old woman” (280).

“I had several goes at taking it off you when you weren’t looking. But nothing seems to work. I took you to Mrs. Pentstemmon, hoping she could do something, but she evidently couldn’t. I came to the conclusion that you liked being in disguise” (283)

“You always did have a way with you, Sophie. You could stop Martha’s tantrums when I couldn’t do a thing with her. And I always said it was thanks to you that Lettie only got her own way half of the time instead of all the time!” (294)

“This is my fault!... I have a genius for doing things wrong!” (306).

““I’m the eldest!... I’m a failure!” “Gabage!” Howl shouted. “You just never stop to think!”” (314).

“Her hair kept getting in her way. It fell across her face in reddish fair hanks”(325).

“Sophie knew that living happily ever after with Howl would be a good deal more eventful than any story made it sound, though she was determined to try”(328).