A World Without Princes

The nature of the concept of “gender”—that there are no qualities or attributes fundamental to the sensibilities or behaviors of each sex—is revealed by the characters, the success of Merlin’s lost spell, and the gnomes’ ability to change sex until they come of age. Rather than presenting masculinity and femininity as opposing forces, the novel frames them as intertwined, socially constructed categories that are often used to impose control over individuals rather than reflect any inherent truth.

The school’s focus on empowering females and society’s shift away from its traditional patriarchal power dynamics reveal the strength, authority, and independence of women. In fact, Sophie and Agatha first realize that something strange is happening in their world when they witness diverse groups of women traveling together on the Flowerground. Princesses and witches are no longer divided by who gets a prince and who doesn’t, who is thought to be intrinsically Good or Evil. Further, females are no longer required to meet ridiculous beauty standards or the expectation that they be ugly; women have more opportunity to choose who they want to be, and their choices vary widely. Dot, a witch, prefers to be svelte and attractive, even making choices that used to be typical of the Good and heroic, while Anadil and Hester would rather have things go back to the way they were before Agatha chose Sophie. Even the differences between Professor Dovey and Lady Lesso, former Ever and Never teachers, show that women can be gentle and nurturing or exacting and tough, or a combination of these qualities at various times. Neither is more “right,” natural, or good than the other. These contrasts reinforce that identity is not predetermined by gender but shaped by individual choices and societal expectations.

Further, the success of characters who employ Merlin’s lost spell shows that the perceived differences between genders are socially constructed rather than inherent. Tristan successfully masquerades as Yara in the School for Girls’ simply by avoiding speaking, so as not to reveal his deeper voice. Yara is attractive, so attractive that Sophie says, “One look at her, and Tedros will forget all about his wish maker” (89). Moreover, when Sophie masquerades as Filip in the School for Boys, Tedros tells others that “[Filip] backs [him] up and fights for [him] in a way no girl ever could” (414). Tedros’s praise of Filip highlights his internalized biases, revealing how he has been conditioned to see certain traits as “masculine” even when they are embodied by a disguised woman. Tristan’s and Sophie’s ability to pass themselves off as the opposite sex with little preparation or deviation from their natural personalities shows that qualities like grace or loyalty aren’t the sole domain of women while characteristics like strength and bravery aren’t unique to men.

Finally, the gnomes’ ability to change sex, as well as the Five Rules Yuba teaches his female students, demonstrates how society dictates which qualities are to be associated with masculinity and femininity. Yuba and Helga are the same person, yet the only differences between the two seem to be their sex and clothing. This suggests that gender itself is primarily a performance, one defined by external expectations rather than innate traits. They are otherwise the same, though Yuba dons stereotypically female clothes when he transforms into Helga. Otherwise, Yuba and Helga have the same abilities and temperaments. Agatha quickly identifies the Five Rules as “sexist and reductive” because they include statements such as, “Girls soften. Boys harden” and “Girls caution. Boys ignore” (262). Anadil’s personality, however, shows that girls can be hard, while Tedros shows that boys can be gentle and emotional. Girls, however, are instructed to be soft while boys are hard, that girls should be cautious while boys should throw caution to the wind.

Merlin’s belief that a more peaceful society could result from a human ability to change sexes suggests that empathy is the key to dismantling gendered power structures. Just as gnomes remain neutral in times of war, unwilling to injure others over their perceived differences, perhaps greater understanding between boys and girls would reduce their animosity and bitterness.