Stardust

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1999

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapters 3-5

Chapters 6-8

Chapter 9-10 and Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

(The) Wall

The stone wall separating England from Faerie is at the heart of the novel. It’s described as “old, built of rough, square lumps of hewn granite, and it comes from the woods and goes back to the woods once more” (3). It’s dominant enough to give the town Wall its name, which sets up the town as a gatekeeper and steward of this sacred place. There is a constant rotation of men (often one young and one old, representing another kind of duality and balance) guarding the only entrance between worlds. Here, they stand as a microcosmic metaphor for the town itself; like the guardsmen who oversee the entranceway, Wall itself stands guard over the gate against the rest of England and the known world.

In its original conception, Stardust was simply going to be titled Wall. While the idea expanded into something greater than its initial inspiration, this illustrates how integral both incarnations of the wall—physical structure and township—are to the novel. The concept of a gateway between worlds is not a new one; thresholds have long been sacred places in a range of world mythologies, something we still see today in practices like hanging mistletoe above a doorway.

Although Stardust is loosely a work of historical fiction, its use of a tangible threshold between worlds exhibits similarities to Terri Windling’s urban fantasy series Borderland. Borderland takes place in the fictional city of Bordertown, which rests on the border of the known world and Faerie (here called “the Elflands”). Neil Gaiman was a contributor to the 2011 volume, Welcome to Bordertown.

Upon Tristran’s return to Wall, the wall is used to create dramatic tension when it’s revealed that Yvaine can’t cross over without turning into a lump of rock. Here it’s presented as something transformative; the very nature of a person changes depending on what side they’re on. Tristran also transforms between one side of the wall and the other, though his change happens within.

The Glass Snowdrop

Throughout the novel, the glass snowdrop passes from Madame Semele to Una, Dunstan, Daisy, Tristran, and finally back to Madame Semele. It first appears when Dunstan visits the Faerie market and meets Una, an encounter that will change his life in unexpected ways. When questioned, Una says, “The use and function of these flowers is chiefly decorative and recreational; they bring pleasure; they can be given to a loved one as a token of admiration and affection, and the sound they make is most pleasing to the ear. Also, they catch the light most delightfully” (21). This, of course, isn’t strictly true; the flowers have magical properties revealed later in the novel. Dunstan chooses the snowdrop seemingly at random, which he then gives to Daisy. Neither realize the significance of it, though Madame Semele calls it “one of the prizes of her collection” (25). It appears again when Tristran sets out from Wall and Dunstan gives him the snowdrop to take with him.

The snowdrop makes its way back to Madame Semele later on when Tristran uses it to barter a ride. Despite its delicacy, the snowdrop remains “as cold and perfect as it had been through all his journeyings” (207). Madame Semele then turns on Tristran and transforms him; however, she does keep her word and brings him safely home. In this way the glass flower becomes a double-edged blessing. This duality is reflected in the flower’s folklore; snowdrops are associated with both hope—being the first sign of spring in many parts of the world—as well as death and misfortune. The irony of this moment is that taking the snowdrop from Madame Semele is, inadvertently, what launched Tristran onto his journey; returning it to her is what carries him back home.

Tristran’s Candle

Like many archetypal, fantastical heroes, Tristran is gifted with a special tool that aids him on his journey. It’s first foreshadowed as Tristran recalls a nursery rhyme about getting to Babylon “by candlelight.” His companion chastises him for flouting such sacred knowledge in the guise of a story for children. After Tristran saves the man’s life, he’s awarded a well-used candle stub: “Only it’s the candle-wax, you see. Most candles won’t do it. This one took a lot of findin’” (108).

Once Tristran lights the candle, he’s able to travel great distances with a single step. This is reminiscent of the folklore motif “seven-league boots,” a recurring symbol in European fairy tales that allow their wearer to travel seven leagues with every step. Initially, Tristran uses the candle to take him to Yvaine.

Later, when they’re confronted by the witch, Tristran uses the last of the candle to take them both away from the danger. The experience permanently damages his left hand: “He was valiant in battle, though his left hand was scarred and of little use” (268). The scar becomes a kind of penance for his initial treatment of Yvaine, with the candle serving as a framing device for the two contrasting moments.