The Rules of Magic

“Once upon a time, before the whole world changed, it was possible to run away from home, disguise who you were, and fit into polite society.”

Hoffman’s opening creates a tone of suspense about the historical setting of her novel. The phrase “once upon a time,” the classic opening line of fairy tales, suggests a distant past. However, the idea of being able to disguise who you were before “the whole world changed” alludes to the pre-internet era of greater anonymity. This blend of fairy-tale notions with ones of the modern world characterizes the novel throughout.

“Susanna Owens spoke in riddles and never gave a straight answer. Uncross your knives, she’d insist if there was a quarrel at the table. Butter melting in a dish meant someone nearby was in love, and a bird in the house could take your bad luck out the window. She insisted that her children wear blue for protection and carry packets of lavender in their pockets.”

Although Susanna Owens has renounced her magical heritage, she cannot help drawing upon superstitions in her family of origin that make her seem the opposite of the rational woman she is with her husband. This suggests that Susanna is conflicted about her identity and is in a state of self-denial. All her beliefs have the character of housewifely superstitions, given their agrarian nature, and link her habits to those of Aunt Isabelle.

“Beware of love, Maria Owens had written on the first page of her journal. Know that for our family, love is a curse.”

This quote from Maria Owens’s journal establishes the family’s belief in their bad luck around love. Given that Maria is their most important ancestor, the apparition of this prohibition in her journal has a biblical quality and the power to influence the family into adopting her beliefs.