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The Silver Crown

 The Silver Crown
type
TVTItem
 The Silver Crown
label
The Silver Crown
 The Silver Crown
page
TheSilverCrown
 The Silver Crown
comment
A novel for young adults/ children by Robert C. O'Brien, author of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and Z for Zachariah. First published in the UK in 1968 (with slight edits made to subsequent printings and the US version that changed the final chapter).Ellen Carroll awakens on her tenth birthday to find a mysterious silver crown on her pillow. Delighted with the present, she sets off for the local park to play pretend as a queen, but on return she finds her house has burned down and her family is gone. Frightened and alone, Ellen decides the only course of action is to make her way to her Aunt Sarah's home in Kentucky — four hundred miles of mountainous terrain away.With few other options, Ellen tries to hitchhike. The kindly driver who offers her a ride turns out to by a maniac who wants to kidnap her for unknown reasons. Fleeing from him on foot she meets Otto, a mischievous young boy who joins her on her quest to reach Aunt Sarah's home. But their journey is fraught with peril, as they encounter a strange hidden castle inhabited by evil minds and a vile force to which all who enter the castle fall prey—all, except for Ellen. It's up to Ellen to harness the power of her silver crown, conquer the evil force within the castle, and rescue its hapless victims before it's too late.
 The Silver Crown
fetched
2023-04-05T16:42:02Z
 The Silver Crown
parsed
2023-04-05T16:42:02Z
 The Silver Crown
isPartOf
DBTropes
 The Silver Crown / int_12628662
type
The Call Knows Where You Live
 The Silver Crown / int_12628662
comment
The Call Knows Where You Live: The Call not only knew where the heroine lived, it firebombed it. Ellen goes out on an early morning stroll and returns to find her house has burned down, prompting her to set off on an adventure across the mountains.
 The Silver Crown / int_12628662
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_12628662
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1.0
 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_12628662
 The Silver Crown / int_173909
type
Brainwashed and Crazy
 The Silver Crown / int_173909
comment
Brainwashed and Crazy: The victims of the Hieronymous Machine.
 The Silver Crown / int_173909
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_173909
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 The Silver Crown
hasFeature
The Silver Crown / int_173909
 The Silver Crown / int_1f7b2d59
type
Law of Chromatic Superiority
 The Silver Crown / int_1f7b2d59
comment
Law of Chromatic Superiority: The silver crown is more powerful than the black crown.
 The Silver Crown / int_1f7b2d59
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1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_1f7b2d59
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_1f7b2d59
 The Silver Crown / int_24b88e85
type
Unwanted Assistance
 The Silver Crown / int_24b88e85
comment
Unwanted Assistance: Otto's "mother" discovers that the boy is cutting down branches to cover a warning sign for a sharp turn on the road near their house, because he's convinced that she needs items from trucks that drive into a ditch. She uses this as justification to send him off with Ellen, as she doesn't need his help, like he thinks she does.
 The Silver Crown / int_24b88e85
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The Silver Crown / int_24b88e85
 The Silver Crown / int_2673425b
type
Kid Hero
 The Silver Crown / int_2673425b
comment
Kid Hero: Ellen is ten years old when a magic piece of headgear shows up in her room and sets off a chain of events that include her house burning down, being stalked by a man in a dark uniform, hitchhiking to Kentucky, escaping from a murderer, and a slew of other dangerous and exciting activities. Otto is eight when he joins her on the adventure.
 The Silver Crown / int_2673425b
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 The Silver Crown / int_2673425b
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_2673425b
 The Silver Crown / int_3936d715
type
Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry
 The Silver Crown / int_3936d715
comment
Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry: The crown is described as "shinier than silver" and full of beautiful blue gemstones.
 The Silver Crown / int_3936d715
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1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_3936d715
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The Silver Crown / int_3936d715
 The Silver Crown / int_433396da
type
Long Hair Is Feminine
 The Silver Crown / int_433396da
comment
Long Hair Is Feminine: When Ellen and Otto go on the run, Otto suggests Ellen cut her hair to look like a boy so as to fool anyone looking for her (since they'll be looking for a girl and not a boy). All Otto has to cut her hair is a switchblade knife, so Ellen refuses.
 The Silver Crown / int_433396da
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1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_433396da
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The Silver Crown / int_433396da
 The Silver Crown / int_4c095112
type
Call to Adventure
 The Silver Crown / int_4c095112
comment
Call to Adventure: The titular silver crown that shows up in Ellen's room.
 The Silver Crown / int_4c095112
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 The Silver Crown / int_4c095112
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The Silver Crown / int_4c095112
 The Silver Crown / int_4d2331fd
type
Silver Has Mystic Powers
 The Silver Crown / int_4d2331fd
comment
Silver Has Mystic Powers: The silver crown is a Hat of Power that allows Ellen to control the Heironymous Machine.
 The Silver Crown / int_4d2331fd
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The Silver Crown / int_4d2331fd
 The Silver Crown / int_59907e4f
type
Police Are Useless
 The Silver Crown / int_59907e4f
comment
Police Are Useless: When Ellen returns to her home and finds that it has burned down, she walks up to a police officer and tells him it was her house that burned and she can't find her mother or father. Officer Drogue's first response is to ask the traumatized, recently orphaned 10 year old girl if she has an ID that can prove her claim. Ellen produces Aunt Sarah's letter and her monogramed pocket book. The officer promises to take her to the precinct, but warns her she better not be pulling a "kid trick." They never make it to the precinct — Ellen and Officer Drogue witness a green-hooded assassin kill a shopkeeper and Officer Drogue runs off in pursuit, leaving her alone.
 The Silver Crown / int_59907e4f
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The Silver Crown / int_59907e4f
 The Silver Crown / int_5e260ea6
type
Conveniently an Orphan
 The Silver Crown / int_5e260ea6
comment
Conveniently an Orphan: Ellen's family supposedly dying in the early chapters is what allows the plot to happen, so she can travel to find her Aunt Sarah. It's later revealed that they had been imprisoned in the castle dungeons. Ellen frees them after taking control of the Hieronymous Machine.
 The Silver Crown / int_5e260ea6
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The Silver Crown / int_5e260ea6
 The Silver Crown / int_66379327
type
The Girl Who Fits This Slipper
 The Silver Crown / int_66379327
comment
The Girl Who Fits This Slipper: Only a wearer with a certain kind of mind can use the silver crown to control the Hieronymous Machine. Ellen, who is unaffected by the hypnotism, has that kind of mind.
 The Silver Crown / int_66379327
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_66379327
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_66379327
 The Silver Crown / int_84ab044a
type
The Hero's Birthday
 The Silver Crown / int_84ab044a
comment
The Hero's Birthday: The story starts as Ellen receives a mysterious silver crown on her tenth birthday.
 The Silver Crown / int_84ab044a
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1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_84ab044a
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_84ab044a
 The Silver Crown / int_99ddfcec
type
Unwitting Instigator of Doom
 The Silver Crown / int_99ddfcec
comment
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The revised ending turns Aunt Sarah into this. She saw the silver crown in a shop and sent it to Ellen for her birthday, not knowing what would unfold as a result.
 The Silver Crown / int_99ddfcec
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1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_99ddfcec
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The Silver Crown / int_99ddfcec
 The Silver Crown / int_a5439ea9
type
Cool Crown
 The Silver Crown / int_a5439ea9
comment
Cool Crown: It's a gorgeous silver crown with blue gems and semi-magical powers... what's not to love?
 The Silver Crown / int_a5439ea9
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1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_a5439ea9
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The Silver Crown / int_a5439ea9
 The Silver Crown / int_a7850fbf
type
Only Known by Their Nickname
 The Silver Crown / int_a7850fbf
comment
Only Known by Their Nickname: A girl at the school introduces herself as Genevieve, but is later called Jenny by the staff, and the narration switches to calling her that too.
 The Silver Crown / int_a7850fbf
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1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_a7850fbf
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The Silver Crown / int_a7850fbf
 The Silver Crown / int_aabdf2c6
type
Tyke-Bomb
 The Silver Crown / int_aabdf2c6
comment
Tyke Bomb: The children brainwashed by the Hieronymous Machine become arsonists and assassins.
 The Silver Crown / int_aabdf2c6
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1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_aabdf2c6
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_aabdf2c6
 The Silver Crown / int_aefcb86f
type
There Are No Adults
 The Silver Crown / int_aefcb86f
comment
There Are No Adults: Ellen's family disappears early in the story, leaving her to fend for herself. Likewise, Otto's "mother" sends them off on their own, and any other adult characters that appear are usually revealed to be evil.
 The Silver Crown / int_aefcb86f
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The Silver Crown / int_aefcb86f
 The Silver Crown / int_b38b6147
type
Science Fantasy
 The Silver Crown / int_b38b6147
comment
Science Fantasy: The plot involves a magic machine that brainwashes children to train them as assassins and arsonists. The titular crown is the only artefact that can overpower it.
 The Silver Crown / int_b38b6147
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_b38b6147
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_b38b6147
 The Silver Crown / int_c19c82d4
type
Hostile Hitchhiker
 The Silver Crown / int_c19c82d4
comment
Hostile Hitchhiker: Inverted — Ellen tries to hitchhike to her aunt's house, but the driver turns out to be a murderer intent on kidnapping Ellen.
 The Silver Crown / int_c19c82d4
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_c19c82d4
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_c19c82d4
 The Silver Crown / int_c1f3eb00
type
Hypnotize the Captive
 The Silver Crown / int_c1f3eb00
comment
Hypnotize the Captive: The black metal is being used to brainwash just about everyone, but it only applies so long as you're near the stuff. Ellen is apparently immune. She breaks into the fortress to free Otto, and manages to escape with both Otto and Genevieve, a girl who's also apparently immune. But when they get back to the location where Ellen hid the silver crown, Otto turns traitor. He was wearing a belt with a buckle made of the black metal and calls in the enemies to capture them all. Ellen breaks the spell by tearing the belt off, but by then it's too late.
 The Silver Crown / int_c1f3eb00
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The Silver Crown / int_c1f3eb00
 The Silver Crown / int_e888fbd8
type
No Man Should Have This Power
 The Silver Crown / int_e888fbd8
comment
No Man Should Have This Power: With the aid of the silver crown, Ellen takes control of the Hieronymous Machine and becomes the ruler of the brainwashed residents of the castle. Not long after, she destroys the machine so it can never be used again.
 The Silver Crown / int_e888fbd8
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The Silver Crown / int_e888fbd8
 The Silver Crown / int_e8b0f099
type
Dark Is Evil
 The Silver Crown / int_e8b0f099
comment
Dark Is Evil: The black crown is an Artefact of Doom, in contrast to the silver crown.
 The Silver Crown / int_e8b0f099
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_e8b0f099
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The Silver Crown / int_e8b0f099
 The Silver Crown / int_f00d01f8
type
Hat of Power
 The Silver Crown / int_f00d01f8
comment
Hat of Power: The eponymous silver crown. It allows a wearer with a certain kind of mind to control the Hieronymous Machine.
 The Silver Crown / int_f00d01f8
featureApplicability
1.0
 The Silver Crown / int_f00d01f8
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_f00d01f8
 The Silver Crown / int_f91985b2
type
School for Scheming
 The Silver Crown / int_f91985b2
comment
School for Scheming: A secret school that brainwashes children and trains them as assassins and arsonists through the magic of the Hieronymous Machine.
 The Silver Crown / int_f91985b2
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 The Silver Crown / int_f91985b2
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_f91985b2
 The Silver Crown / int_fd649e2
type
Fell Off the Back of a Truck
 The Silver Crown / int_fd649e2
comment
Fell Off the Back of a Truck: Many of the objects in Otto's "mother's" house really did fall off the back of a truck, as there's a sharp turn nearby that often leads to trucks driving into a ditch. Of course, if someone wasn't covering up the warning sign, it probably wouldn't happen nearly as often...
 The Silver Crown / int_fd649e2
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 The Silver Crown
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The Silver Crown / int_fd649e2
 The Silver Crown / int_name
type
ItemName
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The Silver Crown

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 The Silver Crown
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Children's Literature / int_ed0c57c6
 The Silver Crown
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Dye or Die / int_ed0c57c6
 The Silver Crown
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Fell Off the Back of a Truck / int_ed0c57c6
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Hypnotize the Captive / int_ed0c57c6
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Hypnotize the Princess / int_ed0c57c6
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Long Hair Is Feminine / int_ed0c57c6
 The Silver Crown
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The Call Knows Where You Live / int_ed0c57c6
 The Silver Crown
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The Hero's Birthday / int_ed0c57c6
 The Silver Crown
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School for Scheming / int_ed0c57c6