Neverwhere Literary Analysis Essay Example

Neverwhere has two distinct settings. Some people are shown as homeless and have no choice but to reside in London Below, which is dark and strange. Whereas in London Above, everyone has a job, a home, and possibly a fiancée. Gaiman employs darkness as a metaphor in London Below to show that everything in the city is evil and does no good to society. London Above, on the other hand, is regarded as the typical world, with its abundance of color and structures, much like any other city. While London Above is depicted as a normal world, the novel's author criticizes it in several ways, including how some inhabitants are depicted as selfish and ignorant. Gaiman aims to emphasize that London Above may not have the positive features that most people consider when looking at a city, and that London Below, although having its fair share of mysterious creatures, also contains respectable individuals who are prepared to aid others.

Jessica, the fiancée of Richard at the beginning of the novel is depicted as someone who is controlling and wants to accomplish things her own way. During a stroll down the street, Richard and Jessica encounter a defenseless woman on the ground who appears to have blood wounds. When Richard defies Jessica’s advice to leave the lady on the ground, she responds by saying “If you don’t leave her there, I am ending our engagement.” Gaiman portrays individuals from London Above particularly Jessica has someone who is selfish and uncaring of those who may be a lower class than her. Jessica is also portrayed as someone who is constantly attempting to change Richard and not allowing him to be himself. Overall, I believe the story is attempting to demonstrate to readers that people from ordinary lives are only concerned about themselves. This London Above critique is composed in a variety of ways, including the use of metaphorical language to portray feelings.

Another way Gaiman criticises London Above is that it portrays its residents as untrustworthy, yet in London Below, Richard, the protagonist, meets some loyal individuals. When Richard arrives at work one day, for example, everyone appears to be unfamiliar with him and unconcerned about his presence. Richard and Door, on the other hand, create a fantastic friendship based on trust and work together to overcome problems. Richard's goal was to return to his usual life in London Above, whilst Door was on a mission to discover who had murdered her family. Both compromised and assisted each other during the expedition, which included encounters with assassins such as Mr Vandemar and Mr Croup, as well as fighting the beast. Gaiman, I believe, is attempting to underline that the impoverished are still human, possessing desirable attributes such as trustworthiness, helpfulness, and resilience. This connection between Richard and Door aided in the development of Richard's character, since he is later depicted as a brave and resolute figure later in the novel.

Finally, Gaiman uses one of the central themes of the novel, which is fear of the unknown to display how individuals from an ordinary life may be complacent or complain about their circumstances. Richard was initially apprehensive about travelling down to London Below with Marquis de Carabas he seemed a little afraid and asked questions frequently. He also frequently grumbled about his time in London Below, he felt like he did not belong there. This shows that because of the negative experiences he faced In London Below it took a toll on him mentally and wanted to escape from that. In this scenario, I believe Neverwhere is attempting to criticize London Above by portraying citizens as people who are terrified of change.