The novel “Neverwhere” describes a fictional and seemingly non-existent place in the world. The people of one city stay invisible to one another but the possibility of this being the reality of the modern day is quite acceptable. The major themes of the story is that people can sometimes get more of what they bargained for in helping someone, that the reality of the world is very perceptive and individual, and that fiction and impossibility are very much connected to the reality of the world.
The novel starts in a very mysterious way that shows how simple things can be shown to be unknown and unfamiliar. When Richard gives an umbrella to the woman she says he has a good heart and this represents one of the major themes of the book (Gaiman 4). This proves that people are very much determined to act out inner urges which are based on their unique character and individuality.
As a sort of “thanks” that he is rewarded with, “Door” shows him a world that is much different from what he is used to seeing. The reward that he gets makes him discover that everything is not as simple as it seems at the first glance and that there are many people who are suffering. At this point it is possible to assume that Richard is not happy with what he is seeing but that he was provided a chance to experience all the things that he does for a reason.
In the beginning, he is unaware that the adventure will change his whole life and the same can be said about all people in the world. Often, a person going through a rough time does not see the true value of what is taking place. The person is emerged in the problems and hardships and has no time to contemplate and philosophize on the morality of life. This has a connection to the other theme of the novel that relates to the perceptions one has about the world and their own life.
It is made apparent from the beginning that Richard has a certain stand point in the world and his views are individual to his own self. From his side of the world, London is a place of prosperity and people’s constant involvement in activities and work.
During the course of his adventures he realizes that it is truly impossible to know something or someone until you become a direct and inseparable part of that entity. Even though there are things that can be said and shown to someone, so that they understand the matter of things, they will not really feel and comprehend what is the real emotion and world of the person until they see it through their own eyes.
This is exactly what happens when the main character is given a chance to take a look at the world he never knew existed. If someone has told him that such a place exists and very close by, he would never believe. Thus, the moral of the novel makes it central to his understanding of the reality. After a person goes through something like this, things are never the same and a person grows inside. It is a form of philosophy that the author wants to display for others to see.
The readers are given a chance to realize for themselves and determine that reality is very perceptive and the things that happen in the world are a part of a great chain of events that are all interconnected (Bealer15). The main link in the chain is the person acting according to these events but also to the internal structure of own thoughts and emotions. This connection between the self and the outside world leads into another theme which pertains to the world and its reality.
Even though the city described in the novel is fictional, it is possible to see how it is also real. It might be fantastic and mystical at the first glimpse but no one really knows what is going on in the invisible part of the reality. The fact that there are things that people do not see is a certain assertion.
Metaphorically speaking, there are invisible people and a world that exist everywhere. People cannot see and feel the suffering of others; whole groups of people are invisible to the world. The separation between classes alienates one from another, making those living in poor conditions, extremely far from those living in luxury. But the really physical qualities of the world are mostly invisible also.
The forces of nature, the causes and effects that take place everyday are very distant and seem to come out of nowhere. Even people’s thoughts and emotions are invisible, so the question of whether they are real is very adequate. A more fictional perspective about beings and parallel worlds that exist beside and among human world can also be possible. No one can say for sure that it does not exist and this can be seen as presented in the novel.
Even though the story describes events that probably have not taken place, it is evident that the connection between a person, reality and what can be true is very real. The closely intertwined relationship of reality and the unreal is invisible, nonetheless existent.
Works Cited
Bealer, Tracy. Neil Gaiman and Philosophy. Illinois, United States: Open Court Publishing, 2012. Print.
Gaiman, Neil. Neverwhere. New York, United States: Headline, 2010. Print.