" Girl With A Pearl Earring" pg 110-169

Summary:

Now that Griet sleeps in the attic, she noticed she loved staying there, even though she does not like being locked in at night. She had a little freedom to wonder around the studio and look at Vermeer’s paintings. She was able to help Vermeer, to wash and grind colors. Although Griet was scared if Catharina knew about her helping Vermeer, but she felt save since Maria Thin knows that she helps Vermeer to paint faster. Tanaka became mean and sloppier because she started to get even more jealous about Griet being in the attic and so was Catharina. Griet found out that Tanneke is royal to Catharnia and maria Thins, because once Tanneke saved Catharina from getting hit by Catharina’s brother William who was violent just like his father. She had found out the even Maria Thin was beaten by her husband and that is why her husband and her were separated. One Sunday Pieter had visited the church to meet Griet’s family. Pieter would come some times and became friendly with Griet’s parents. Griet realized that even when she talks to Pieter, she thinks about Vermeer. Griet’s mother invited Pieter to eat with them, and Griet knew that they had to eat less to serve Pieter. Pieter and Griet finally came close to each other, and Griet got her first kiss from Pieter while saying bye to Pieter after he had ate. When Vermeer was finished painting the bakers daughter, the baker and his family came to look at the painting and bought it from Vermeer. Then Vermeer stared to paint Van Ruijven’s wife. Griet had posed for Van Ruijven’s wife when she could not make it to the studio for some reason. Griet deicide to change something in the studio because she did not like the way Vermmer had set it up to paint, she was worried if he would say anything to her. Vermeer had not said anything to her, but made her change in his paintings. Griet had asked Vermeer if his paintings were of Catholics. Vermeer told her it depends on how the people see it, and not about a religious figure. Griet learned that Vermeer was protestant before he had married Catharina. Griet had started to also think about Pieter when she went to the meat shop and did not see him there, she felt sad. Cornelia stole Griet’s comb and placed her mothers with Griet’s. At the markets people were talking about Greit that Vermeer will paint he with Van Ruijven. Vermeer told Griet to set in his studio because he was going to paint her. 

Part I liked:

I like the part when Griet went to buy meat at the meat shop with Maertge and had tiers because she did not see Pieter, which shows that she does like Peiter. Peiter’s father saw her and knew that she like also has feelings for Peiter.

Questions:

If Van Ruijven is the patron for Vermeer, who buys most of his paintings and is richer then Vermeer; why does Van Ruijven’s wife wears Catharina’s pearls doesn’t she have her own pearls?

Interpretation:

As Griet started to know more about Vermeer and Pieter, she is confused about who she likes. Griet like's Vermeer because of his paintings, it brings an imagination to her, where she feels she can escape and feel free to talk about colors and how it is used in Vermeer's paintings. With Pieter, she likes him because of his blue eyes and his charming looks, but not just because of that, Pieter was a nice man, who showed interest in her and is welling to marry her. When Griet is with Pieter she felt she was back in her same old life again how it was before, so  Pieter also make her feel comfortable in some ways. Griet would ask both Vermeer and Pieter, about things that she felt was wrong or wanted to know more about. Both Vermeer and Pieter gave her a place to be her self then with other people that surrounds her.