51 pages • 1 hour read
Michael Ende, Transl. Ralph ManheimThe Neverending Story
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1979A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Bastian Balthazar Bux
Bastian, the main protagonist of the novel, is a “boy of ten or twelve” who lacks athletic ability but has a strong imagination and a deep love of reading (5). Bullied by other children at school and mourning the recent death of his mother, Bastian longs to escape the mundane world. When his attention is drawn to a mysterious book called The Neverending Story, he steals it. Initially, Bastian is merely the reader of the text, supplying his thoughts as he immerses himself in the tale of Fantastica. During this section, his investment in the novel and his musings about its characters and plot allow for a greater understanding of his own personality and the nature of the realm of Fantastica.
During the first half of the novel, Bastian reveals that his current relationship with his father is strained. Since the death of his mother, Bastian believes himself to be invisible to his father. Bastian also feels that he is the butt of jokes at his school, due to his inability to perform adequately in gym class. Bastian’s moral flexibility is also noted early on, for not only does he steal a book and play hooky from school, but he also admits that he has “a weakness for making little fires” (90). Thus, Bastian is a complex character, exhibiting both positive attributes like imagination and passion and also less desirable qualities such as cowardice and untrustworthiness.
Bastian’s character shifts dramatically throughout the second half of the novel. After naming the Empress and entering Fantastica, Bastian’s initial search for adventure morphs into a more sinister and self-serving pursuit of beauty, courage, and power. By overindulging his wishes and seeking personal glory, Bastian does gain a measure of strength and admiration from the creatures of Fantastica, but the fulfillment of such wishes also come at a price. As Bastian loses the memories of who he once was, he also becomes selfish and narcissistic. Realizing eventually that he is in danger of not only losing himself, but also his individuality, Bastian begins to long “to be capable of loving” (348) and undertakes a final quest to rediscover who he truly is. In the end, Bastian returns to his world with an awareness of the importance of caring for others and a newfound courage to face challenges, which is exemplified by his return to Coreander’s shop.
Atreyu
Atreyu is a member of the “Grass People” or “Greenskins,” a group of Fantasticans known for their hunting prowess. Despite being a respected hunter of the purple buffalo, Atreyu is only a boy when he is chosen “to find a cure for the Childlike Empress […] and save Fantastica” (39). His mission becomes the central focus of the first half of the novel, and he likewise embodies many of the traditional fairy tale depictions of heroes. An orphan, Atreyu is the "Son of All" (40) and a child, making him an unlikely savior of Fantastica. However, Atreyu proves himself to be a brave and capable hero, carrying on his mission despite losing his horse, becoming separated from Falkor, and feeling the pull of the Nothing.
While Atreyu remains a strong secondary character in the second half of the novel, his story recedes into the background as Bastian’s adventures begin. Rather than the hero, Atreyu instead becomes a faithful companion who attempts to guide Bastian toward correct thinking by continually pointing him home and attempting to protect him from the memory loss caused by his wishes. Atreyu’s sense of right and wrong serve as a guide throughout the story, and his decision to battle Bastian and his forces symbolizes his desire to save not just Fantastica, but also his friend. In the end, although Atreyu never undergoes substantial character development, he ultimately saves Bastian by providing his name to the Water of Life and agreeing to tell the stories that Bastian left untold. This turn of events suggests that he has learned to use his imagination just like the human boy.
The Childlike Empress (Moon Child)
The Childlike Empress, later named Moon Child by Bastian, is the leader of Fantastica. However, she does not use her power to make rules or judge her people; instead, the Empress is “the center of all life in Fantastica” 32), and her life force is connected to all the beings in her kingdom. The Empress is also ageless and is able to provide protection to those who wear her amulet, AURYN. Also known as one can grant others the power to manifest wishes, the Empress makes no judgments about the wishes that such individuals make. Indeed, as Dame Eyola tells Bastian, in the perception of the Childlike Empress, “all things in her empire are equally good and important” (341).
Yet despite her role as the spiritual head of Fantastica, the Empress requires the intervention of human beings in order to live and thrive, for a human must name her to provide her with continued existence. According to literary critic Kath Filmer, these elements suggest that the Empress “symbolizes […] the realm of the subconscious mind, where archetypal images and shapes are manifested and from which the Imagination springs” (Filmer. “Religion and Romanticism in Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story.” p. 61). In short, the Childlike Empress, who combines the innocence of the child with the wisdom of the adult, functions as the embodiment of imagination itself.
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