☝️ Key Points
- Cosette sings about her desire for a safe and happy place, free from pain and suffering
- Her imaginary castle invites children and excludes adults, as she shows distrust towards adults
- 'The fairy in white dress' represents a loving and caring figure, symbolizing Cosette's longing for affection and recognition
- 'No one cries' and 'the sun shines every day' are expressions of her wish for happiness and joy
- The song ends with hope and the pursuit of a better, pain-free life
Interpretation
The song 'In My Castle' from
Les Misérables is sung by the character Cosette and reflects her childlike dreams and hopes. She dreams of a perfect place, her 'castle', where there is no pain, sickness, or suffering. She sings: 'No one is tired or sick / In my castle, there's nothing like that.' This shows her deep desire for a safe and happy place.
In her imaginary castle, she invites 'five hundred children' and emphasizes that 'we don't let grown-ups in', which shows her innocence and distrust towards adults. She dreams of a place where 'nothing gets stolen, nothing breaks', revealing her longing for stability and peace.
The 'fairy in a white dress' she speaks of represents a loving and caring figure who 'has time for all the children' and tells her: 'Cosette, I love you very much'. This shows her desire for affection and recognition that she doesn't receive in her real life.
Finally, she emphasizes that in her castle 'no one cries' and 'the sun shines every day'. This is another expression of her wish for happiness and joy. The song ends with the line 'No one has tears on their face / In my castle, there's nothing like that', highlighting the hope and striving for a better life free from sadness and pain.