The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Part 2 is subtitled “On Grammar” because Renée and the diarist spend these chapters exploring the importance of grammar and the beauty of language. Renée and the diarist are both triggered by incorrect use of grammar. For Renée, the misuse or abuse of language is indicative of a weakened mind. The external use of language is therefore a direct result of the internal layers of a person. The diarist is similarly interested in language. She comes into conflict with her teacher over the idea of grammar, and in this instance the teacher is a symbol of a larger society that uses beauty for function instead of for beauty itself. The diarist sees grammar as its own end while most people see grammar as a means for communication and clarity. This contrasting understanding of grammar is yet another example of how Renée and the diarist are at odds with the society around them but unknowingly in connection with one another.

In these chapters, the meaning of the title of the novel is revealed. The diarist reveals that the hedgehog is Renée because she’s prickly on the outside (like a fortress) but elegant on the inside. This metaphor is important because it demonstrates the diarist’s mature understanding of others, and it highlights that Renée is not as mysterious as she would hope she appears to other people. This signifies that there is something spiritual in the diarist’s understanding of Renée because she sees her internal and external qualities without truly knowing her. The metaphor is also fitting because the diarist likens Renée to an animal. Both narrators see animals as talismans that contrast with human experience, and both honor animals for their spiritual significance. Comparing Renée to an animal, especially an animal that is often overlooked because of its exterior, is a fitting tribute to Renée’s many layers.

Also important in this metaphor is the interest that the diarist takes in Renée. It is revealed that even before Kakuro’s arrival, the diarist had noticed Renée. However, Kakuro confirms the diarist’s suspicions that Renée is worthy of further study. This interest is a foreshadow of their future friendship, one that will positively change both their lives.

Kakuro’s appearance is a major plot twist that propels a whole new layer of plot and character development. As a secondary character, he instantly breathes new life into the plot because he is a concrete point of focus that brings Renée and the diarist closer together. His immediate understanding of Renée and his openness to the diarist characterizes Kakuro as compassionate, intelligent, and interested in people’s internal value. That Renée is a concierge and the diarist a child doesn’t deter him from extending them empathy and potential friendship. His identity as a Japanese man is important because in his otherness he embodies a new way of thinking that challenges the Western culture that the diarist and Renée are disconnected from. He is both an outsider and an insider because he is different by nationality but wealthy enough to fit in. His appearance in the text foreshadows a meeting between the diarist and Renée, particularly because he ignites the diarist’s interest in Renée.

In these chapters, the importance of Anna Karenina, a novel by classic Russian author Leo Tolstoy, is introduced. Barbery alludes to this novel in earlier chapters because Renée’s cat is named Leo, and she often thinks of one of the main characters of Anna Karenina, a farmer named Levin. This novel takes on a more significant meaning when Renée has a visceral reaction to Kakuro quoting from Anna Karenina. In their first meeting, they unwittingly introduce a hidden layer of themselves by connecting over this quote. Despite its status as a classic, Anna Karenina is a long and heavy novel, typically read by literature enthusiasts. Therefore, simply knowing the book well creates a subculture, but Kakuro and Renée know it so well that they can recognize quotes from the book. In quoting from the book, Kakuro reveals a kinship to Renée. This moment is important because it highlights the unpredictability of people and the way literature can bring people together. Published in 1878, the novel celebrates simple ways of life based in routine, which echoes Renée’s ability to extrapolate joy from small things and the routines of her life. To appreciate such a life implies certain things about one’s characterization, insinuating that Kakuro and Renée share an interest in simple but meaningful things.

Another important development in these chapters is the diarist’s reflection that she wants to be taught that she is nothing and that she is deserving of life. This implies that she wants to live. She is not totally committed to suicide because she wants to find a way to make herself worthy of life and life worthy of her. She seeks expansion of the soul and pleasurable but meaningful experiences. In “Profound Thought No. 11,” the diarist bites into chocolate and contemplates the pleasure of it and what this pleasure signifies about her personhood. This resembles Renée’s cherry plum test, highlighting yet another similarity between Renée and the diarist.

Part 2 sets a new tone for the last two parts of the novel. The shortest section, Part 2 is a transition from contemplation to action and foreshadows human connection.