The Ogre Day 4

I think Ephraim represents clarity, spirituality, etc., the typical things one would expect to find in a prophet. This is the embodiment of what Tiffauges was looking to carry the whole time, but because he was looking at all the wrong signs, he didn't find it until the end of the novel. Yeah, sure he kind of got this twisted euphoria when he went recruiting and kidnapping children to serve as soldiers, but that was an insubstantial joy that did not produce longterm happiness or fulfillment. But Tiffauges finally found those things in Ephraim--a worthy cause to support. It is the only mirror image that is positive in the story, a parallel of what he felt when he went riding on Bluebeard, except he was the horse instead of the rider, and the rider had a brain this time. With this in mind, I think the ending had a redeeming quality, although it is a little vague. I think the star is an important clue, however, being a symbol for hope, a light through the darkness, and a guide for the right direction.