The Prospect of Magic

The prospect of magic within the novel is significant because it supplies Celine with a suggestion upon which to understand the Court of the Lions’ world. Celine is immediately captivated by the Court when she first goes to Jacques’. However, the mystery surrounding their society makes it difficult for her to understand them. She suspects that they are magical beings, but this logic does not fit with her understanding of the world. Odette says, “I wouldn’t call us magicians… We prefer to be called illusionists or mentalists” (90). By avoiding a total explanation of the Court’s magic, Odette further captures Celine’s curiosity, but throws her off from the real-world implications that the existence of such beings in New Orleans could have.

Celine further reflects on this possibility of magic in her new acquaintances. Ahdieh writes, “The first time Celine had visited...