Spirited Away

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | YA | Published in 2002

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Character Analysis

Chihiro

Chihiro is the story’s protagonist and the character who experiences the most growth, struggle, and change. She begins the story as a disgruntled and listless girl leaving her home behind to move to a new place. She clutches a bouquet of flowers, which were a goodbye gift from her best friend, and as the family car draws closer and closer to the amusement park, Chihiro’s flowers begin to wilt. She recognizes this as a sign that something is wrong, but her mother writes it off, saying, “I told you not to smother them like that” (10). Chihiro’s instincts are sharp and unbiased; she can sense danger when her parents cannot and notice details they seem unaware of. As Father appears to be lost, he only drives faster and more recklessly, and Chihiro notices strange things like a discarded pile of Hokora and a Dosojin in the woods. When Chihiro’s parents want to pass through the tunnel and explore the park, Chihiro is extremely resistant: “I’m not going. It gives me the creeps” (34). However, she follows her parents because she feels she has no other option. In fear, she clutches her mother’s arm tightly.

Chihiro reacts strongly once more when her parents smell food and want to see where the smell is coming from. She again senses something is wrong, but her parents’ greed and complete disconnection from the spiritual lead them down a foolish path. They end up eating the spirits’ food, and Chihiro does not. When her parents turn into pigs, Chihiro runs off to search for help, and she finds Haku, who does his best to help Chihiro free her parents and return to the human world. During this time, Chihiro grows from a scared child who does not “want to be alone” (137) into a brave adolescent as she does whatever is necessary to save her parents. Chihiro is motivated mainly by this love for them.

Haku

In Book 1 of Spirited Away, Haku is a mysterious figure and round character who seems highly invested in helping Chihiro stay safe and save her family. It is not revealed until the story’s conclusion why Haku cares so much about Chihiro: He is a dragon river spirit of the Kohaku River, a river which has since been filled in and had housing developed over top of it. When that happened, Haku was lost, and Yubaba took him under her wing. Unfortunately, she trapped him there as a servant. In Book 1, this is only hinted at when Haku says, “It’s about my mission, right?” (149) in response to being told that Yubaba is looking for him. Haku saved Chihiro from drowning in the Kohaku River when she was very small and, as a result, feels a bond and connection with her. For this reason, Haku wants to help Chihiro escape the spirit world safely. Haku appears to be a human, but the biggest clues that he is not are his ability to perform magic (such as when he unbinds Chihiro’s legs) and his existence in the spirit realm.

Haku first sees Chihiro when she looks over the ledge of the bridge of the bathhouse. He warns her to “leave before it gets dark” (74), and when he notices the spirits lighting the lamps, he frantically pushes Chihiro toward the river. Chihiro does not make it in time and is trapped on the island with her parents (now pigs) and the spirits. Haku is instrumental in helping Chihiro cross the bridge to the bathhouse and instructing her to find Kamaji and seek work from him. At this time, Chihiro does not know who Haku is or why he knows her name, but he seems to be the only one that she can trust, so she obeys and seeks out the boiler man.

Father

Father, like his wife, symbolizes the reckless way humans treat the nature that grants them the things they love, such as food. He does not seem to think before acting, selfishly following his desires wherever they take him at full speed. This is first shown when he peels through the forest in the car at top speed, thwacking branches as he passes and almost crashing into the red wall that seems to appear out of nowhere. Unphased, he beckons his wife and child to follow him down the mysterious tunnel with no concern for what dangers may lie ahead.

Father is also a symbol of greed, illustrated by how he and his wife consume mass amounts of food laid out on platters inside the amusement park. They initially believe the park to be long since closed down, but when they smell the food, they follow their basic drives without thinking. Father is perhaps the most to blame for what happens next, as he was the one who originally pushed his wife and daughter to explore the area. His foolishness traps his family into following his poor decisions, and he even shames Chihiro for resisting: “Chihiro. Don’t be such a scaredy cat!” (34). Father also possesses a bold arrogance, as if nothing can harm him: “Don’t worry. You’ve got Daddy here. He’s got credit cards and cash” (61). When he and his wife turn into pigs, he eats so much that he falls to the ground. He begins squealing at Chihiro for help, which terrifies her. Despite seeing her parents in such a pathetic and indulgent state, she does what is necessary to help them reverse their error.

Mother

Mother is Chihiro’s mother and a flat character in Spirited Away. Mother is a modern-looking, well-to-do woman who, for the most part, follows what her husband suggests. She is driven by superficial desires such as food, money, and status. She serves as a symbol of the greed of modern humanity, as well as peoples’ disregard for nature and spirituality. Mother comments on the discarded shrines as if she does not agree that anything spiritual may reside there: “Some people think little spirits live there” (19). She says this with a look of disdain on her face and a condescending tone, as if she finds the whole idea childish and silly. Mother also treats Chihiro in this manner, lecturing her that she must learn to love the new home and should be excited, rather than empathizing with how Chihiro might feel leaving her friends and home behind.

When the family finds the amusement park, Father becomes enthusiastic and follows the smells of the food without thinking. Mother follows behind him without much thought, and soon they are both gorging themselves on food without even paying for it. Many of the dishes are so rare and delicate that Mother does not even know what they are—“I wonder what this is called” (60)—and yet she becomes gluttonous and consumes without regard of its origin. This act showcases her greed and lack of concern for nature, and as a result of these flaws, she is turned into a pig along with her husband. After this, Chihiro must work in the bathhouse to save her parents, acting as if she is the adult and they the children.