Sophie's World

Sophie’s World, by Jostein Gaarder, tells the history of Western Philosophy from the perspective of 15 year olds Sophie and Hilde. Although some may find this unimpressive, Gaarder sees this as the perfect way to tell his story. At the age of 15, both Sophie and Hilde are beginning to grow up, but still young, curious, and excited about the world, in contrast with adults, who have become too comfortable with their surroundings. The book aims to show its audience that philosophy is for everyone, so long as we have not been caught up in the rabbit’s fur.In the first chapter, we are introduced to Sophie Amundsen, a fairly typical teenage girl, questioning her existence and later, her world. She is intrigued by the mysterious letters she receives, which ask: “Who are you?”, and “Where does the world come from?” Although they should be relevant and interesting to every one of us, these essential questions are ignored everyday by the majority of people. Sophie’s reaction is, however, is of immediate curiosity and excitement. This contrasts strongly with typical stereotypes about teenage girls- that they are silly, shallow, and unknowledgeable, so they should not be taken seriously. Sophie is able to admit to herself that she is unknowledgeable about the answers to the questions, which only strengthens her curiosity and will to learn more.

Alberto’s first lesson for Sophie contains the metaphor of the rabbit fur, which becomes an important theme throughout the book. Alberto asks Sophie: “Is there nothing that interests us all? Is there northing that connects everyone- no matter who they are or where they live in the world?” It’s a powerful question, which shows just how unifying and central philosophy is to every one of our lives. In spite of it, we almost never really think about philosophical questions. Alberto states: “Although philosophical questions concern us all, we do not all become philosophers.” Almost every one of us becomes buried deep in the rabbit’s fur; too caught up in everyday affairs to notice how strange and wonderful our world is. The first two chapters can serve as Gaarder’s plea to the readers to think about what is truly important. We all have innate curiosity and should be thinking about big questions, although day-to-day affairs can be distracting.

The first person Gaarder shows who is caught up in the rabbit’s fur is Sophie’s mother. When Sophie asks her mom about the world and about philosophy, she is disturbed and thinks that her daughter might be on drugs. Sophie’s mom immediately brushes off every one of Sophie’s questions, as weird and uninteresting. This illustrates the idea that by the time most people reach adulthood, they take the world for granted, and lose their sense of wonder. Sophie’s mom exemplifies everything we could become if we do not question ourselves and our surroundings, and the jaded, uninspired attitudes we encounter daily.

However, Gaarder has a hopeful outcome near the end. Sophie’s mother shows great interest in meeting the philosopher, and possibly learning more. And although she doesn’t quite understand why Sophie is leaving her, she is proud of her daughter and wants what is best for her. We do not see anymore of Sophie’s mom within the book, but Alberto assures Sophie that they can come back to visit anytime. At the end of the novel, Sophie and Alberto are independent within their world, able to make their own choices and continue to learn more about how their existence. Hilde and Albert have a similar discussion about their universe. All the characters are questioning what is around them, while becoming more connected to their world.

By using the characters Sophie and Hilde, Gaarder is able to show just how relevant philosophy is to all of our lives, regardless of our position in the world. He hopes to demonstrate why we should all feel encouraged to think philosophically, and avoid being caught in the rabbit’s fur, as so many are. Every one of us has the same potential to question and to think critically and abstractly. Every one of us experiences the inexplicable forces that make our reality, our world, and ourselves.