Elizabeth is barefoot in her appearance in chapter 112 (pg 30).
Elizabeth’s shoes symbolize her dedication to Ciel. They’ve even already been shown in this arc in the context of Elizabeth’s anguish over Ciel, when Bravat tempts her, saying “A bright future lies beyond your anguish.”
(ch 111 pg 8)
Elizabeth appearing without shoes suggests to me that in order to grant Elizabeth “radiance” and to give her relief from anguish, he’s going to take away everything significant about her.
I’m worried about Edward. After the latest chapter, even more so. I fear he, unlike Ciel, and much like Lizzy, is susceptible to the cult’s dogma because of the fears and turmoil within himself.
Greenhill points it out very directly in Chapter 109, pointing out how, as a new prefect, he will face new pressure and troubles, something Edward is all too aware of.
Greenhill, whether consciously on not, and quite ironically, considering the lyrics and message of the P4′s song (Chap 112), uses the happiness he and Edward shared in the past to soften the reluctant boy’s heart.
Lured by nostalgia for happier days, Edward agrees to attend the music hall meetings. One wonders if Violet lured Cheslock in the same way.
When Edward arrives at the hall, he is curious and unsure, but soon warms to the atmosphere, and despite his normal reserved demeanour, enthusiastically agrees to sing along with the others in a manner quite unlike him.
Soon, he is dancing and laughing with the rest, looking like another boy entirely.
One wonders if, despite his aversion to Bravat, the cult’s lure has infected Edward’s mind, and calls to him, even now when his younger sister is missing and there is strong evidence to suggest the cult are responsible. Clearly he has troubles inside his own heart, as Lizzy did – troubles he wishes to forget about and be joyful.
As @eviltwintheory noted here, the closeup of Edward’s eye as the P4 finish their song and he notes the atmosphere is strange, as if it is glazing over (Chapter 112). Is this an indication of the cult’s infectiously captivating and elating atmosphere influencing Edward’s mind?
I say this, because it seems that Edward is losing his touch, or sharpness, that served him so well in the Weston cricket tournament (which he aptly mentions before his eye goes funny). Later, in Ciel’s residence, Edward seems puzzled by the idea that the P4′s song, the lyrics particularly, had any ulterior motives.
This is quite a change from the boy who was sharp enough to quickly realise that the Blue House band was responsible for the Blue House team managing to play as well as they did by syncing the music with their cricket performance. (Chapter 77). Then he even thought of and perfectly implemented a strategy (emulating Cheslock’s Purple Burnout move) to counter it.
This observation and quick thinking was such that it surprised even Sebastian.
Quite a difference from the boy who was stumped while Ciel and Sebastian were the ones in the know and sharp enough to realise how the song preached a dogma and ingeniously spread among the masses.
I fear this is evidence that, the cult have affected Edward’s otherwise keen reasoning ability, calling to mind a quote from the late Christopher Hitchens, stating that the utopia “involves, if it does not necessitate, the sleep of reason”.
Could Edward be brought under the cult’s spell, as Lizzy was? Or will he be strong enough to withstand their false promises?
Following on from @eviltwintheory‘s essay about the sham that is the ‘equality’ in the Sphere Music Hall, noting the presence of hierarchy and greater importance of the ‘special ones’ like Ciel, I’d like to add something else.
The four ‘guardian stars’, as I call them: Sirius, Canopus, Vega and Polaris, are each the brightest stars either in their respective constellation or in the night sky, or both.
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Canopus is the second brightest. Vega is the fifth brightest star in the sky and the brightest in its constellation, Lyra. Polaris is the 50th brightest star in the sky, and the brightest in its constellation, Ursa Minor.
Therefore, all other stars that make up the constellation, in the series’ case, the other ‘tiny stars’ in Bravat’s cult, are less bright. There can be no equality when some stars are brighter than others.
In their song, the P4 talk about everyone in the audience being shining stars, all together forming a constellation. That much is true, metaphorically speaking.
What they fail to mention, and may fail to realise, is that there will always be one star in the constellation brighter than they are.
One of the interesting features of the Blue Sect is their apperance of equality. People of all classes meet there, and they interact as friends.
Yet, is this really true? Notice how everyone acts when it’s revealed that Ciel is protected by Sirius.
People are crowding around him as if he’s a celebrity – or nobility. He’s being treated as someone special. It’s as if these people see him as someone above them and not an equal. Then you have the four doors shown at the end.
While we’re told that only those with bracelets can go to certain rooms, it seems that these rooms are each marked with a specific star. If this is true, then these rooms are only for those protected by one of the four stars. Therefore, these rooms are exclusive.
Despite what is said, there are still classes. Those protected by the four major stars are the upper class and are treated differently. Other members look up to them, perhaps envy them, and there may be rooms that only they can enter.
To be honest I’m pretty sure she’d be more angry about the fact those poor girls had to deal with Seb and his nasty face and bangs, rather than them approaching her son and nephew. 😀
OMG lmao! 😀 Nah but Frances would kill him if he were to do that, haha! (Though I imagine Ed going home and be like “Mom, Ciel’s butler spent time with two prostitutes while we were looking for Lizzie” and Frances answering “wtf, he’s dishonoring the whole profession I’m gonna shave him bald”)
Not but seriously, at first I thought it was all him feeling sorry, because the cat had left him and he wanted some comfort (poor nerd Sebby), but then since he was shown to listen to her, I thought this probably was him doing some investigations on his own 🙂
It certainly was a fun thought anyway and Ciel and Ed’s faces sure were priceless! ^^
I think the black-haired prostitute wouldn’t have had a trouble in working to Edward.
(Dear god you woman, he’s underage! lol ).
lmao, they all like him he’s so cute in his shy awkwardness that is the tender age of 17 hahaha!
I’m pretty sure Ran Mao loved his awkwardness back in Weston too lol
midnight-in-town 