The Tale of Despereaux’s characters feel destined to live lives according to the circumstances of their birth and given name. Living up to one’s name—or in spite of one’s name—is a transformative experience. For the most part, the characters live out their destinies, asserting themselves in the name of goodness and hope at the expense of offending those around them. This endeavor of standing up for what’s right is intrinsic to Despereaux’s quest to do the “impossible, important task at hand” (218): rescuing Princess Pea.

Despereaux, named after sorrow, is obsessed with light and love. He is condemned to be “disappointing” to his parents because he is nothing like his peers. The other mice constantly remind him of his supposed future: that he will die soon “with his eyes open like that” (15) and his sickly demeanor. The Most Very Honoured Head Mouse condemns Despereaux to death “with a black heart” (56) because of his un-mouselike behavior. Despite all of this negativity, Despereaux finds comfort in the world of fairy tales, “as if it were a spell and as if the words of it, spoken aloud, could make magic happen” (47). This passion defines his future journey as he decides to “be brave for the princess.