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Moreno Julio
Professor Lewis
English 115
November 29, 201
Sophie's Stages of Growth
As young adults, most people go through a difficult stage of growing up. People set up
their identity for the future to come. In college especially you are learning who you want to be.
You go through changes in how you think and even you look. The ideas you learn through the
your entire life forge an identity. In Diana Wynne Jones's Howl's Moving Castle Sophie as an
example of how her identity is formed as she experiences things throughout the novel. Lacan
three stage's of life are represented in Sophie's actions. In the story Sophie grows up with her two
other siblings in which her Sophie has to take over the family business she is destined for not
such a glorious life. At the end of the story though she seems to get a happily ever after which
was not really expected. Throughout this long adventure Sophie changes to create a "self". She
builds a identity just like everyone else. She has hardships but she overturns them and hurdles
them. Everyone deserves a Happily ever after and a identity.
Lacan's Stages of growth are quite simple to understand. I will focus mostly on the
second one. The mirror stage. The imaginary applies to infants, they are told what not to do and
only know the difference of what is not. While the mirror stage is more complicated, just
imagine your looking yourself in the mirror. People notice the uniqueness of themselves. What
makes us different to the other people? Sophie goes through that process several times. At the
beginning of the story Sophie Hatter is eldest of three sisters. She is only aspired to ever be not
more than the hat lady, unsuccessful. Maybe physically she not in the mirror stage because that

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applies to small children. Though her mentality has not gown, during the "Imaginary stage" one
does not have made up a self. Babies only react to what the parents tell you. You do not have any
real contact with the outside world. Sounds kind of what Sophie is going through at the
beginning, She has no sense of who she is only of what they tell her she is. Even when she takes
her few steps into the outside world she seems scared of being outdoors. For example when she
goes visits Letty. "' What made me think I wanted life to be interesting?' she asked as she ran.' I'd
be far too scared. It comes with being the eldest of three'"(18). She is panicking just by being
outdoors. Her attitude is not one whom is the eldest. The ideology of being the oldest is destined
to fail should not have get in the way of Sophie. Sophie may be the eldest and should be like a
role model for the younger sisters Lettie and Martha. Instead it is the smaller sisters that take the
initiative. They broke the future that her mom had set up for both of them, they switched places
Martha explains how they decided to switch futures basically, Martha wanted to settle down and
raise kids(23-24). This reflects the little to no control Sophie has over her decisions. She is
dependent on everything but herself. She has no identity, She may be "Sophie Hatter" but other
than that she is basically part of the store. Sophie at this point does not really know what she
wants to be. The hat business is most definitely the start of her adventures. It is the first thing
identified with Sophie.
Sophie's adventures start at the shop because as soon as she starts making the hats. Little
did Sophie know that she was special deep down. She receives so much attention because
important people from Ingrad. The Witch of the Waste comes after her because supposedly
Sophie is taking her place with these magic hats.. The Witch of the Waste also says that she is
taking any competition out when it comes to dealing with magic. Sophie does not have a clue
what is happening(35). So she turns her into an old lady. The real reason is because Sophie is

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actually a witch herself.After the Curse implemented on Sophie(35).She becomes old the fastest
reaction is probably the physical aspect of her but the mirror stage has a full affect on her at this
point. Sophie becomes full of strength that the young Sophie never had. The first thing she
decides is to leave her house and her hat buisnessSophie's old age like that. I believe she wanted
to look for adventure. Her unconscious wanted to be special, which she is. Sophie has the
courage to go Howl's Castle. The rumors have it that he eats girls souls. Which she at this point
in her life is not scared of him. I guess she thinks that he is after small girls not old ladies like
her. It is apparent that Sophie is almost a different person. Her mirror stage that she is going
through can be explained more in " Through (with) the Looking Glass: Revisiting Lacan and
Woodward in "Mconnaissance," the Mirror Stage of Old Age by Leni Marshall. In the article it
states that One recognizes the self during the early months of birth. The infants start seeing
themselves and recognizing themselves. There comes a time through when a person starts losing
that "self". People of certain age start disconnecting from that "self". Something Sophie was
exactly going through. She for example could always see herself in the mirror and recognizes
who she is. Sophie Hatter now views could now view herself in the mirror and see someone else.
She also starts disconnecting from the world she is living in. which is good for her because her
prior image was a very dull and uninteresting Sophie. In the same article It talks about How one
person with age the social mirror also changes. It perfectly applies to Sophie because in the
article it states " for some individuals the world expands; for others it shrinks". Sophie before the
age change lives in her own bubble and after the world she lives in expands. She starts giving
more into the social life. She moves into Howls castle she dialoghs more with Calcifer and
Michael. There is another aspect of the social image which In some aspects affect Sophie. In the
article it talks about how When age changes there is a social stigma attached to it. You become

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less attractive and less desirable. For Sophie's unique experience It gives her a chance to escape
her young and shy self. Yes she lost the attractive part of her but she also let go of her shyness.
She stops giving importance about what others think. The article says that people judge and stay
away from old looking people that is the social stigma. The plus of that same stigma is that old
people get away with things. In Ingrad for instance, its viewed dangerous to go walking alone for
a girl. In Sophie's case though she gets away with it because she is old. This article has lots of
suggestions on how old age affect a person it changes one's self. For Sophie It forges her identity
early on because she may look sixty but deep down she is still that little girl in search of
adventure.
Sophie's adventures start as soon as she steps foot on Howl's castle. She first meets
Michael and Calcifer this last one a fire demon. There is all sorts of magic inside the castle.
Sophie takes this pretty good taking in that a day ago she was a reclusive in her hat shop. When
she finally sits down to converse with the fire demon Calcifer he reveals to Sophie that other
than the curse put on her by the Witch of the Waste. There is a hidden curse. Sophie makes a deal
with Calcifer because he is in sort of contract with Howl. So Sophie will try to end that Contract
while calcifer will end the curse. At this point Sophie is a total different person in the way she
acts towards others. She is a grumpy person but at the same time gives of a good vibe. I say they
actually like her because I mean they do not kick her out. She makes herself respected inside the
house. She makes it her house basically. Before her arrival the house was a bloody mess. Now
Sophie took the reins of the decisions. She cleans the house against the will of Howl himself. She
also bullies Calcifer into going into the direction she wants to go. This goes back to her image of
being old. They try not to mind her and forgive her bluntness because of her age. I think her age
is a still a social stigma that she is using all to her favor. So at this point in the book Sophie is

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visually a different person and mentally also. She has no problem in showing her ideas and even
putting in her own witch type of magic to other people for example in chapter ten in the book
Howl's Moving Castle by Daina Wynne Jones two people come visit Sophie. The first man wants
a spell for his horse which Sophie needs the help of Calcifer, the second wants a spell because he
has a duel in which he wants to win so Sophie actually makes it herself(189-192). Sophie is so
much grown at this point in the story. If we can compare this to a college student it would be the
end of sophomore year. Halfway towards the goal. At this point you can see where your future
work will be. Same for Sophie at this point in the book. She may not realize where she heading
but her future is being a witch next to Howl.
She will in the process break that supposed ideology of Ingrad in which the oldest is the
least successful. Lettie was supposed to marry a good person and settle down. Martha a magician
and at this point Sophie is closer to having both. Her strong personality is making her important
inside the castle. Slowly becoming a witch herself. The connection between her and Howl is for
me what will finally finish her completion of breaking that ideology. She will end up ending with
howl. We know this because it says so by the end of the book but how does her relationship with
both of them start? They met each other way before than at the castle. At Chipping Market. Howl
was trying to get at her. We see that in chapter ten Howl tells Sophie why was she hiding behind
the door when he was courting Lettie. Then in chapter eighteen Sophie at the end of the chapter
she goes In a bit of a stratum(390). Sophie in that chapter she is very jealous of Mrs. Andorian.
She is younger and her age is finally becoming a obstacle. Her image is becoming a impediment
to her being with Howl. We see that she wants to be with him. By the end of the book There is a
happily ever after. Sophie gets everything they said she would never get.

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Sophie forged her identity throughout all her story but the last mirror stage was when she
turned her back into her young self. obviously more younger full of life. Not like before when
she was to grumpy and just plain blunt. She was now a successful young witch with Wizard
Howl.

Marshall, Leni. "Through (With) the Looking Glass: Revisiting Lacan and Woodward in
'Mconnaissance,' the Mirror Stage of Old Age." Feminist Formations, 24.2 (2012): 52.

Diana, Wynne Jones. Howl's Moving Castle. HarperCollins Publishers. NY New York.
Print.