The Last Unicorn

“The men rode in silence until they were nearing the edge of the forest, when the second hunter asked quietly, ‘Why did they go away, do you think? If there ever were such things.’

‘Who knows? Times change. Would you call this age a good one for unicorns?’

‘No, but I wonder if any man before us ever thought his time a good time for unicorns.’”

This quote introduces the idea of a world unfit for unicorns. Unicorns, which symbolize innocence and wonder, are no longer found in the world, showing the way humans have become disillusioned and cynical. The hunters in this quote have a bleak outlook on their present world.

“Sometimes she thought, If men no longer know what they are looking at, there may well be unicorns in the world yet, unknown and glad of it. But she knew beyond both hope and vanity that men had changed, and the world with them, because the unicorns were gone.”

This quote demonstrates the link between unicorns and the themes of innocence and disillusionment. The idea that humans cannot see unicorns anymore because the world has moved away from being a place of wonder is explored in this moment as the unicorn contemplates her place in the world.

“Belief makes all the difference in magic like Mommy Fortuna’s.”

Schmendrick explains how Mommy Fortuna’s magic can make ordinary creatures appear to be magical creatures. If people want to see a manticore, Fortuna’s magic can show them one. This also affects the spider in the carnival, who believes she is Arachne. Because she believes she has created the great webs of Fortuna’s spell, the spell is stronger and more real.