The novel The Girl With the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier has an interesting, unique tone that is clearly expressed by its picturesque and meticulous word choice, imagery and details. The novel is set in the 17th century of Holland in a small town called Deft and is told from the perspective of sixteen-year old Griet who explores the world of art and painters, and the complexity behind the world that seems so simple to outsiders. A particular scene comes to mind and best embodies a somber, tense tone and mood between the characters in the novel. On page 215, it is in the middle of the climax and an exciting moment of action in which where Griet is involved in a fight between her employers the painter Johannes Vermeer and his wife Catharina.
The girls find St. Lucy’s home an exciting, new environment and have fun for the most part. They are ultimately unhappy. This is evident when the girls spray “exuberant yellow streams all over” (225). Everything for the girls is sudden and chaotic. The narrator, Claudette, says their “noses ached beneath an invisible assault” (Russell 227-228).
The Golden Goblet, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw illustrates a story about a young Egyptian boy named Ranofer who has to make some very hard decisions about this life. The most prerequisite event in this thrilling tale is when Ranofer finds a golden goblet in the room of Gebu, Ranofer’s nefarious half brother . This is the most important event because it helps Ranofer find out about Gebu’s plans, it is the cause for Ranofer thoughts after he finds the goblet, and the goblet is prove that Gebu is stealing from the tombs of kings.
The portrait is displayed horizontally with a gold trimmed frame. The subject is a female that looks to be in her early 20’s sitting upright on a large brown chair. If the viewer travels up the painting the first indication of the woman’s class is her satin, blue dress. The saturated blue shines and falls in the light like water. Paired with the dress are her exceptionally detailed endings to her sleeves. The lace is even painted as though it is translucent, allowing a little of the blue dress to show through the sleeve. Flowers throughout history have symbolized innocence of a woman and her virginity. The repeating theme of flowers, in the sleeve cuffs and ribbon) in the woman’s attired suggests her purity or innocent nature. Another very details section of the painting includes the corset/torso details. The sewing suggests texture in the torso with small beading in between. Towards the top of the chest in the center, the female seems to bear an extravagant, ribbon piece with a tear drop bead in the center. The light pink
Every pearl begins as a dangerous and harsh intrusion into life. A piece of dirt is inserted into an oyster’s environment where it doesn’t belong. The oyster can either respond by dying, or by accepting and surrounding the sand with care. With continual care, the oyster turns the small speck of dirt into a beautiful pearl. The Scarlet Letter is a story of how one woman takes a scandalous event and rather than allowing the event to define her, she, by constant kindness, turns her life and her child into something of worth. The theme I am focusing on in The Scarlet Letter is the person and the concept which embodies courage and redemption.
The compelling tale that is The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, is highly acclaimed for its rich narrative. With the challenges that the characters of The Pearl go through, Steinbeck crafted a novel that exemplifies the trials and hardships that a family has to go through in order to fulfill their dreams. The theme of The Pearl, which is that excessive desire can lead to harming one’s family and loved ones, is shown and generated through the progression of the book’s plot and the motives of the characters.
Every person has on object in their life that is very precious to the, for me, it is my pearl necklace. They are small and round and a lustrous cream color with a pink sheen. They have a tiny gold clasp that holds the necklace together. My pearls tell a story than no other personal artifact can: my heritage. The pearls symbolized tradition and womanhood in my family’s life, and they were to be worn with dignity and pride. Every holiday, the girls of the family accessorized their outfits with the pearls given by our grandmother. They were something we all had in common: the thread that linked our generations together. I recall looking down at my Nana’s casket and I could almost hear her voice whispering
Norman Rockwell’s painting, A Young Lady with a Shiner, brings to life an imaginative and engaging scene. His illustration depicts a young girl who is battered and bruised, seated on a bench in a room adjoining the principal’s office; she is apparently waiting to be spoken too. Smiling broadly with a happy, toothless grin, she contrasts directly with the people in the office who can be seen through the partially opened door. The man and woman do not see any amusement in the actions this girl has been involved in, and the looks upon their faces convey this message clearly. Rockwell’s representation demonstrates evidence of a brawl, a glowing triumph radiating from the girl, and displeasure which is presented in the faces of a man and a woman.
For this book report, I have chosen to read the book, “The Pearl”. The book “The Pearl” has a very strong moral and plot. The book is classified under the genres “Fiction”, and “novella”. The book “The Pearl” has a total of 90 pages. John Steinbeck is the author of this book.
Therefore, Griet’s identity undergoes a lot of changes throughout the novel. First, she is maid who is duty- bound to work in an unknown place due to her family’s needs’. As the book continues, she starts developing her opinion as well as
Lastly, the Pearl of the World is hard to grasp for because it is significantly realistic to be true, yet it is as far idealistic as possible. Everyone wanted the same thing, but they knew they all would not be able to have it. The material pearl reveals the irony of good fortune in that what should have been the profession of a lifetime, turns out to be a disaster, producing a great
"The Locket" by Kate Chopin is a very interesting short story about a soldier, his locket and his wife back home. Edmond is a soldier who wears the locket around his neck to remind him of his wife and how much she loves him. Through out the story, the author switches between love and despair, war vs. homefront and happiness and sorrow and through those situations throughout the story, the story comes to a surprising ending.
The novel Girl with a Pearl Earring should definitely be included on the Novel Ideas book club reading list. Elyshia Hickey reveals why this fascinating, historical and romantic story will appeal to an adolescent audience, as it explores the theme of sensual awakening. Set in 17th century Delft, Chevalier’s novel explores the deep but forbidden love between a young maid and her master. The author’s clever combination of an intriguing story, remarkable characters and descriptive language allowed her to explore the themes of forbidden love, predators and sexual desires.
This quote written by someone unknown "The truth doesn't cost anything, but a like could cost you everything" shows so much for the story "The Necklace," by Guy De Marpassant. It tells how a little lie can make havic, and more work than if you had told the truth in the first place. Madame Loisel lied to he friend about her necklace. She had said she was getting it fixed but instead, she was working really hard to get money to buy a brand new one worth 35,000 Dollars. After ten years of working off the necklace she found her friend and told her the truth. She got some back news from Jeanne. Her friend said, "my necklace was only worth 500 dollars." ISNT of lying and working for no reason, telling the truth could have saved Matilda a life of
In the first paragraph, Madame Lantin is characterized as quiet and gentle young girl, belonging to a poor and respectable family. The line “The young girl seemed to be the very ideal of that pure good woman to whom every young man dreams of entrusting his future” (Maupassant 67) establishes the personality and traits of Madame Lantin for the readers. Until the death of Madame Lantin in the story, her character is portrayed in a positive light, as the narrator describes her caring and naïve nature. Towards the end of the story, When Mr. Lantin finds out that the Jewelries are much more valuable than his expectations, the image of Madame Lantin takes a dramatic turn, and the reference of reality is made when the narrator says “A horrible suspicion swept across his mind . . . She? . . . But then all those other pieces of jewelry must have been presents also! . . . Then it seemed to him that the ground was heaving under his feet; that a tree, right in front of him, was falling toward him” (Maupassant 70). This shows that Mr. Lantin have conclusively realized the truth about Madame Lantin, whom he was deeply in love with, and admired for all this time. He realizes that just like Jewelry, He failed to apprehend the truth about her, hence realizing that Things are not always what they seem to be. Another theme presented in the story is Situational Irony, as the outcome that the readers expected was distinct from the outcome. As Mr. Lantin finds
An important part in every person’s life is the search for personal identity and self-knowledge. This struggle involves working out a concept of oneself as a unique individual and embracing an ideology or system of values that provide a sense of direction, as stated in Weiten’s Psychology: Themes and Variations. Similarly, in Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, Griet grapples with her identity as a maid, and entertains the idea that she can choose a path not set out for her. Her journey of self-discovery leads to a deeper understanding of her role in Vermeer’s paintings, and what it means for her own life. The Vermeer’s influence on Griet affects her transition from adolescence into adulthood, thus affecting the choices she makes. These choices define Griet as a person even when she feels she no longer has any trace of her old self left. Although Griet does not completely sever her ties to her old life, Griet does fit the archetype of a hero on a hero’s quest because of the challenges crucial to her journey and through the redemption of her personal values.