Neverwhere

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 4

Chapters 5-9

Chapters 10-13

Chapters 14-17

Chapters 18-20

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Themes

The Transformative Nature of Sacrifice

The issue of sacrifice—both knowing and unknowing—appears very early in the novel and takes on many forms as the narrative progresses, for the brutally hardscrabble world of London Below overlays the blander realities of London Above, and those who are unlucky enough to become unwitting denizens of the former soon become acquainted with the grim reality that sacrifices must be made in the struggle for survival. Central protagonists and secondary characters alike are used to illustrate the nuances of this theme, and as Richard and his companions work to unravel the mystery lurking beneath the demise of Door’s family, they all become intimately acquainted with the fact that making sacrifices—or accepting the sacrifices of others—comes at a heavy spiritual cost and leaves an indelible mark upon their psyches.

Throughout the fantastical adventures that characterize the novel, Gaiman sprinkles liberal examples of sacrifice to imply that this dynamic is an integral part of London Below, and even secondary characters have their place in this harsh worldview. For example, when the young rat-worshipper Anaesthesia leads Richard over the bridge to the Floating Market, she is devoured amid the darkness simply because a “toll” is required of those who dare to cross the bridge. Her death therefore serves as a primer to the naïve Richard, who has just barely begun to understand the rules of this world. Similarly, the Marquis de Carabas exhibits a powerful example of sacrifice when he allows himself to be murdered by Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar as part of his broader efforts to repay a debt to Door. Utterly transformed by his subsequent revival, he becomes a rather wry version of a savior figure when he returns to aid Richard and Door in their final confrontation with the Angel Islington. Finally, the character of Hunter exhibits an intimate understanding of the nature of sacrifice, for she has dedicated her life to hunting the legendary beasts and monsters of the world as a way to honor the highest essence of her eponymous vocation. Even her death exemplifies the complex dynamics of sacrifice; just as she gives her life in service to her vocation, she also does so to redeem herself for her previous betrayal of Richard and his companions. Thus, in death, she pays a “toll” of her own to atone for her actions in life.

Most notably, the myriad aspects of this theme can be found within the ever-evolving protagonist, Richard Mayhew, for at the beginning of the novel, he exhibits a naïve but essentially self-sacrificing nature when he proves to be one of the few inhabitants of London Above who is able and willing to acknowledge Door’s existence and help her. However, at this point of his journey, he does not yet fully understand the implications of his actions; he therefore makes an unintentional sacrifice when his uninformed decision to venture into London Below renders him a nonentity in the ordinary world. This event propels him into the cycle of the Hero’s Journey as he labors to regain his lost status as a member of London Above. The details of this journey require ever more exacting and transformative sacrifices, irrevocably changing him. The most prominent example of this dynamic occurs when he undergoes the third trial in the group’s quest to gain the key from the Black Friars, for the ordeal strips away all of his remaining illusions and forces him to discern the true nature of reality. All of Richard’s experiences in London Below—from aiding Door and vanquishing the legendary Beast to facing the Angel Islington—hone him into a more decisive person who makes sacrifices consciously and willingly: a true “hero.” Thus, at the end of the novel, he deliberately sacrifices his life in London Above and embraces the fantastical, liminal space of London Below, permanently becoming a part of that world.

The Threat of Treachery

From the novel’s opening chapters, Gaiman’s world-building plants the seeds of treachery on the most fundamental level, for the narrative creates a world that is not what it seems, and the fantastical denizens who inhabit London Below all hold conflicting, secretive motivations that render them less than trustworthy in the eyes of the protagonists. From the Marquis de Carabas’s sly and shifty demeanor to Hunter’s hidden agenda and the Angel Islington’s world-shattering betrayal, the theme of treachery becomes an invisible antagonist that laces each setting with unspoken menace—whether or not a betrayal actually materializes.

The dynamics of betrayal also permeate the rules of the world itself, for even before Richard arrives in London, the elderly woman’s obscure warning about “doors” implies that his future is not what it seems and that darker forces are amassing to lay claim to his existence. Likewise, with the young Door’s sudden appearance in his life, Richard’s entire world betrays his most basic trust in what is and is not real. As Door grudgingly introduces him to the ever-shifting world of London Below, Richard discovers that the whole of existence has turned strange and treacherous; just as London Below threatens his very life, the familiar rhythms of London Above reject him utterly, leaving him adrift as a helpless nonentity in an invisible and inexplicable world.

Faced with constant and largely inexplicable dangers, Richard finds himself struggling to gain the necessary experience to discern the difference between friends and foes, and each new encounter is tinged with the implication that he may judge incorrectly and pay for his mistake with his life. Central to this tension are the insouciant Marquis de Carabas and the enigmatic Hunter, for while the former appears predisposed to the world of treachery and the latter inclined toward iron-willed integrity, neither character is what they appear to be. Despite the Marquis’s tendency to inspire distrust, he nonetheless deals in the exacting currency of “favors” and remains keenly aware of the balance of debts and obligations. Thus, his seemingly treacherous absences from the narrative occur because he is fully committed to paying his debt to Door, no matter the cost to himself. By contrast, although the skillful Hunter proves herself to be an extremely capable bodyguard, she hides the fact that her loyalties have already been undermined by her lifelong passion—the quest for the legendary Beast that lurks beneath the streets of London. These two characters therefore serve as foils to one another, for the scoundrel of the story proves his true worth, while the bastion of honor engages in base treachery for her own ends.

Lurking in the background of these more immediate interactions, the ultimate treachery of the Angel Islington pervades every aspect of the novel, for although this shadowy figure masquerades as a benevolent force, it nonetheless masterminds the murders of Door’s family and pursues a deeply ruinous course of action in order to break free of its prison. Given that the character is a literal angel, its malicious deeds take on a distinct air of hypocrisy. Rather than implementing its murderous plans directly, the angel operates through the proxy violence of Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, and this pair’s cartoonish malevolence acts as a decisive counterpoint to the angel’s distaste for what it considers to be necessary evils. Even amid the angel’s determination to murder Door’s family and manipulate her into securing its own release from prison, Islington wears a pious mask of put-upon benevolence that persists even after its treachery is discovered. When Gaiman explicitly references the angel’s flagging mental health, the narrative implies that Islington’s treachery is so advanced that the angel even deceives itself.

The Pursuit of Redemption

Hot on the heels of betrayal comes the novel’s focus upon redemption, and from a certain point of view, every one of the protagonists and supporting characters is undergoing a specialized version of redemption. They each have principles and beliefs to uphold, and their redemption hinges upon whether they succeed or fail in these endeavors.

The most prominent examples can be found in the personal quests undertaken by Door and Richard, for just as Door seeks answers to her family’s murder in order to assuage her survivor’s guilt, Richard desperately wishes to find a way to return to his old life—not yet realizing that this particular form of redemption will prove to be an empty pursuit. Both characters depend upon each other for support yet remain consumed by their need to regain some semblance of how their lives used to be; for much of the novel, they focus on finding a way to repair the mistakes of their past. However, this approach leaves them mired in regrets, and they soon learn that the only way to redeem their lives—and their sense of themselves—is to forge new versions of who they are meant to be. Door must step fully into her power and her quasi-aristocratic status in London Below, and Richard must gain the experience and the confidence necessary to survive in this strange world that refuses to obey the “rules” that he has been conditioned to follow all his life. By confronting the source of their troubles—the Angel Islington—both characters survive a key ordeal that allows them to forge new versions of themselves.

While Richard and Door’s redemptive arcs are largely internal, the Marquis de Carabas and Hunter undergo unique forms of redemption by improving their respective reputations in the eyes of their companions. Initially, Door is extremely cautious in approaching the Marquis and is careful to strike a bargain using his recognized currency of “favors.” Her caution implies that while the Marquis is trustworthy to a point, he is also unpredictable. However, although the Marquis operates in a highly transactional way, he does go beyond the stated limitations of his obligations when he courageously confronts the villainous Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, knowing that he can get far more information from them if he allows them to kill him. With his timely revival and reappearance at the novel’s climax, he adds his efforts to the final confrontation, and his heroic acts place him utterly beyond reproach in the eyes of his companions, who previously had a tendency to doubt his intentions.

In addition to these creative forms of redemption, Gaiman also includes a more traditional version of the theme in the development of Hunter’s character arc. Consumed by her lifelong quest to conquer as many legendary beasts as possible, she allows her natural sense of integrity to be compromised by her need to face the great Beast of London, and upon betraying Richard and Door to secure her own ambitions, she also betrays the core of herself in order to pursue her life’s purpose. Given these traditional narrative dynamics, Gaiman utilizes a similarly traditional form of poetic justice when the Beast of London bests the mighty Hunter and strikes her a mortal blow. However, in the last moments of her life, she repents of her treacherous actions and uses the last of her strength to call the Beast back so that Richard can kill it. She also redeems herself by instructing Richard to use the Beast’s blood to find the path that leads to Door and Islington. In this way, her redemptive arc is inextricably linked with the theme of sacrifice.

Of all the denizens of London Below, only the Angel Islington utterly rejects the possibility of redemption, for as the Marquis wryly observes, “When angels go bad, Richard, they go worse than anyone. Remember, Lucifer used to be an angel” (324). Thus, Gaiman places Islington on a par with the Devil himself, and when this imagery is combined with the angel’s utter lack of remorse for its past crimes, the narrative implies that Islington is beyond all hope of redemption. Rather than repenting for its cruel decision not to prevent the sinking of Atlantis, Islington maliciously maintains that the continent’s inhabitants “deserved” their fate, and the venom in its voice reveals its irredeemable fall from grace. Believing that it deserves to escape its imprisonment, the angel short-circuits the arduous path that might have led to redemption in a higher form, and in the final moments of the climax, it suffers the ultimate punishment for its actions. True to the novel’s message about good, evil, and the true nature of redemption, Islington’s lack of remorse is answered with a far more permanent banishment when Door sends the corrupt being into an unknowable prison that spans all of space and time.