Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

To find his true name and break the curse, Rump must contend with powerful magic and struggle against others’ attempts to control his fate. Due to the connections between destiny and names in this fantasy setting, the search for Rump’s full name is at the heart of his fight against fate. From the novel’s beginning, destiny weighs heavily on the protagonist’s mind. Because he knows only part of his name, he fears that he will never fulfill his potential. He seems doomed to a life as the Village’s outcast and laughingstock. He dreams of changing his fortune with gold or magic, and his wish seems to come true when he discovers that he can spin straw into gold. Looking at the fruits of his labor after a night of spinning, Rump rejoices, “This was my destiny, to be rich and fat and happy!” (39). Rump is correct in believing that magic will change his fortunes, but he little anticipates the disastrous consequences his spinning will have. In the following months, his fate seems to be to labor for the gain of insatiably greedy men, first the miller and then the king.