44 pages • 1 hour read
Tracy ChevalierGirl With a Pearl Earring
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2000A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Vision and Blindness
Central to this novel is its exploration of vision, including, but not limited to, artistic vision. The novel’s interest in the relationship between vision and blindness is suggested by the figure of Griet’s father, a former tile painter who loses his sight in a kiln explosion. There are subtle links between Griet’s father and Vermeer who, on the surface at least, appear to be polar opposites. Both men are integral to the development of Griet’s own vision. Acting as her father’s “eyes” has sharpened her natural propensity for “seeing things as they [are],” including a careful attention to the qualities of light and color that are central to Vermeer’s work. However, while acting as her father’s eyes have laid a strong foundation for Griet’s eventual understanding of Vermeer’s artistic vision, her closeness to Vermeer increases the distance she feels from her family, suggesting that there is a type of blindness necessary to maintaining family harmony. This is especially evident in comparison with Vermeer’s own family, whose surface of calm seems to be always threatened by the chaos bubbling underneath.
The Costs of Artistic Genius
In conjunction with its exploration of artistic vision, the novel also examines the costs of artistic genius, particularly to those whose wellbeing is dependent on the artist’s care and livelihood. The costs of Vermeer’s unfailing devotion to his art are borne by Catharina and her children and are both psychic and material, as we see in the final scene of 1666 and in the family’s destitution following Vermeer’s death in 1676.
The costs to Griet are more complexly represented, as she is allowed to share in the creation of the painting of which she is a subject. While she is not as committed to the completion of the painting as Vermeer is, knowing that it will be her “ruin,” Griet’s participation eventually ensures her freedom from the tyranny of the artist’s vision of her. Because of what she endures, Griet earns the pearl earrings that settle the debt her husband is owed by Vermeer. More importantly, Griet is released by the painting of her wearing Catharina’s earrings—released from life as a maid most immediately, but also released from Vermeer’s otherwise irresistible orbit. Because he asks too much of her, she no longer feels indebted to him.
Female Agency
Throughout the book, Griet attempts to maintain control over her body and her life, though her efforts are greatly limited by her class and her gender. While she is successful in many small ways, for example, refusing to be bullied by Cornelia, to be watched by Vermeer while looking into the camera obscura, or to let Pieter see her hair before their wedding night, her increasing devotion to Vermeer imposes limits on her freedom that exceed those imposed by society, to the point that she is locked in her room every night so that she can better complete the tasks he asks her to do in secret in addition to her regular work as a housemaid. The question the book raises is whether the expanded vision and intellectual stimulation brought about by her interactions with Vermeer is sufficient compensation for the peace of mind and relative freedom of movement she gives up. The end of the book, which shows us a seemingly content and settled Griet, suggests it is not; however, it is worth noting that Griet is not the one who makes the decision to leave Vermeer. Ultimately it is his decision to make her wear Catharina’s earrings that forces Griet out of the household.
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By Tracy Chevalier
