In Granted, many of the characters try impose excessive control over things that they ultimately come to realize they have no real power over. On a large scale, the novel explores this theme through the fairies’ structured system of protecting and controlling magic. On a smaller scale, characters in the novel, like the protagonist Ophelia, come to realize that excessive preparation and planning is not particularly useful when faced with real-life problems. In fact, the novel emphasizes that having set ideas about people and situations causes trouble and that it takes flexibility and adaptability to be a true problem solver.   

One way in which the novel illustrates this theme is by showing how the fairies’ world is bound by strict rules and procedures. One of the rules that the fairies follow is living in the Havens, which are the designated permanent homes for fairies. Fairies are not born there; they come from plants in the outside world. They are “creatures of nature in the most intimate sense, sprung from magic and beauty and wisdom” (6). Founders take young fairies from the human world to the Havens, and they must stay in the Havens from that point forward. However, since fairies are born from the magic outside of the Havens, the magic likely intends for them to live outside the Havens, as well. Ophelia has heard of past times, long before she was born, when fairies wandered the world at will. But as humans grew in number, fairies felt threatened, so they made magical barriers around the Havens to keep humans out and fairies in. Though the Havens are supposed to protect fairies, they also keep them away from the outside world. Isolation causes problems, especially for fairies like Granters and Scavengers who must enter the human world to do their jobs. These fairies, like Ophelia, have no idea how to deal with ever-changing human technologies and end up putting themselves in danger when they come to the human world.

The fairies also defer to the Great Tree, which is a way for them to control magic in order to ensure that they can grant wishes in a fair manner. They have taken great care while creating the Tree since its “selections are calibrated to use a precise amount of magic and produce a precise amount of magic” (35). Fairies need this magic to stay safe, make gadgets for navigating both the human and fairy worlds, and grant wishes. However, the Great Tree method strips all the wonder from magic and makes it seem as technical as a science experiment. Though the Great Tree is fair, its method causes problems because the fairies feel no connection with the wishes or with the humans making them. Often, the Great Tree chooses to grant wishes that some fairies find trivial and silly—like children’s wishes for PlayStations and bikes—but the rigid nature of the fairy world doesn’t allow them to question the wisdom or necessity of granting these wishes. As a result of imposing strict control over magic with the Tree, the magic declines faster since neither humans nor fairies feel moved by magic’s power.

The novel also points out that Ophelia must learn to become more flexible to succeed at her mission; it shows that her attempts to control situations usually go wrong. At first, Ophelia is a meticulous planner, making detailed lists and imagining solutions to possible problems. However, right at the start of her mission, she almost gets hit by a jet plane, showing that unexpected events can upset well-laid plans. After this, the more that she tries to control things, the more dramatically they slide out of her control. For instance, when she tries to grab the coin in the diner, the diner staff hits her with a broom and throws her out; she still attempts to follow the coin and ends up getting hit by a truck and breaking her wing. However, when she lets go of her preconceived notions and accepts help from the dog Sam, she finds a friend; and when she lets her instinct guide her rather than rules, she ends up where her magic is desperately needed: the Morales family. Ophelia’s initial concern with order and rules gives way to a bigger, more meaningful quest.

In all these cases, the novel shows that excessive rigidity results in chaos. The Great Tree imposes rules and procedures in order to preserve the magic, but it ends up depleting it. Similarly, the Haven’s protections are not fool proof and results in fairies who travel outside its bounds being prone to danger and even death because they are ill-equipped to manage the outside world. Also, Ophelia  learns that excessive planning cannot prevent disasters. Instead of strict control, the novel suggests that experimentation and adaptability are more helpful. For example, when Ophelia simply follows the coin, things go better than when she attempts to follow a plan. Also, when she grants the wish that feels right instead of the one she was assigned to, it makes more magic than usual. The novel suggests that in the face of things beyond one’s control, being flexible and open to change is more valuable than having strict rules. Granted shows that true control might not be in strict rules and plans but in the ability to navigate and adapt to life’s unexpected twists.