Symbolism - The moths

The moths laid out in the red room in I'm the King of the Castle symbolise the preoccupation of the Hooper Dynasty. Joseph Hooper's father first started collecting moths as a renowned lepidopterist. Moths brought fame and wealth to his father. Joseph Hooper was forced to watch the moths and be proud of the collection during his young age. To his father, increasing his collection and gaining reputation from the public was his only interest, thus he may have gained renown and dignity, but in return he lost his family and love. By the impact of his father, Joseph Hooper, whom hated watching the moths in the red room, told his own son to be proud of the moths, and that the moths were "worth a great deal of money". This shows that the preoccupation of wealth is inherited from Edmund's grandfather to Joseph Hooper. Edmund Hooper also shows his preoccupation of wealth in the novel. Edmund says "My grandfather was the most famous collector in the whole world." to Kingshaw, which connotes Edmund's feelings of superiority over Kingshaw. This reveals Edmund's power hungry traits and his interests in accumuating power and status over Kingshaw at every opportunity.