Meeting Aunt Beast and getting a better understanding of her kind helped Meg to come to this realisation. Although her parents love her and they show their love to one another it was Aunt Beast’s actions that made her FEEL love and calm and serenity. Meg also wanted to know who helps them fight the Dark Thing and Aunt Beast tried to explain that they use what they have within them to overcome the darkness:
“We look not at the things which are what you would call seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal” (pg 225). Temporal is temporary, like most ‘things’ but feelings, which are not seen, last forever.
In the last chapter it is this, along with Mrs Which’s final conversation with Meg- that her only weapon is something that IT does not have, that allows Meg to come to the understanding that love is enough to conquer darkness.
I believe that this is the main message of this book- that Meg’s life has been full of darkness and ill-feeling because she is different, but the idea that love can conquer all of that is wonderful. This is also strengthened by the final reunion of the whole family, all full of love and happiness. Do you agree with my idea that conquering the dark thing was a symbol for Meg conquering the dark feelings inside of her?
Discussion questions:
Now that we have finished the book, what is your overall feeling about it? Would you recommend it to others? Who was your favourite character and why? What was your favourite part? If you could change something, what would it be?