Summer Reading Reaction

    The book title I read for summer reading is "Girl With a Pearl Earring", which was written by Tracy Chevalier.

    The reason why I chose it is because I like the painting having the same name. The girl in the painting is mysterious. We cannot get to know who she is or what she is doing from it, but she is charming. I was interested in how Tracy Chevalier imagined and created the story behind this painting, so I decided to read it.

    Main characters are Griet, who is sixteen years old, her family, Johannes Vermeer and his family, Pieter the son, who work for the meat stalls.

    One day, Griet began to work for the Vermeers as a maid. At first she did housework or clean the studio where Vermeer painted, but gradually she came to help him in painting, for example, grinding colors or acting the substitute model secretary. On the other hand, her family lost their warmth. Pieter the son came to love her and proposed, but she hesitated. Eventually, Vermeer had Griet herself act as a model, and when she became eighteen years old, he completed "Girl With a Pearl Earring," but his wife got to know that he had painted Griet with his wife's earring secretary. Griet left from them, and went to Pieter the son. When ten years had passed, Vermeer died. Griet was given his wife's pearl following his will. She changed it to money, and decided to hide and own it forever.

    It is sure that Griet cannot live absolutely freely, but she always acts following her own feeling. This novel describes the transition of one girl who has a hard time but tries to live strongly of her own free will. It is one of the themes of this novel.

    On the other hand, many other women appears in this novel. They are not always happy. Vermeer's wife, Catharina, is one of them. The last scene where she gave Griet her earrings was impressive. I like this scene because she expresses her real intention. She usually did not seem to worry about love given by Vermeer, but she was nealy in tears when she transfer the earrings. The truth is that she was hurt because of insensitive act by her husband.

    After reading this novel, I came to pay attention to the way of women's lives. Women are often not free very much and affected strongly by men, especially in the past. I want to read other books paying attention to it.