"Girl With A Pearl earring" (pg 169 - 233)

Summary:

“You smell of linseed oil” Griet’s father said to her on Sunday. Her parents did not know that she was being painted by Vermeer. She told her parents about the other paintings that he was working on. Pieter never told Griet that she smelled of Linseed oil. When Pieter and Griet made love, she did not look at his face or his hands. He wanted to see her hair but she did not let him. She was to set in the chair again for Vermeer so that he can paint her. Sometimes she would take the other woman’s spot when they were not present. Vermeer wanted to paint Griet differently, not like a maid. He wanted to paint her just like the first time he saw her at her mother’s kitchen. Vermeer told Greit to take of her cap so he can paint her, but she refused; but one day Vermeer saw her with out her cap. So Vermeer gave her some pieces of cloths to tie it around her heard to cover her hair. Vermeer suggested her to wear his wife’s pearl’s, to complete his painting of her. Van Leeuwenhoek told Griet that Vermeer liked her and that she should take care to remain her self. Catherina was again 6 months pregnant. When the painting of Griet was finished, Cornelia some how found out and told her mother about it. Catharina was very upset and angry when she found out about it, and asked Vermeer why he had not painted her. Griet was afraid and left their house and never cam back. Greit married Pieter and was working at the meat shop. Griet had two sons, who were kicking and playing with a bone. One day Tanneke came to the meat shop to tell Griet that Catharina wanted to see her. When Greit went to Catharina’s house she had eleven children, some she recognized and others she did not. Catharina gave the pearl earrings that belong to her to Greit, because after Vermeer death he wrote a note to gave the pearl earrings to Griet.  

Part I liked:

I liked the part when Griet received the pearl earrings, because after she left Vermeer’s house, she thought he just painted her for Van Ruijven’s pleasure and never really cared about her. But now that she knew he wrote the letter to Van Leeuwenhoek to give her the earrings, she actually knew that he liked her and cared for her.

Interpretation:

Griet experienced many things as a young girl. Her life was full of love, hate, jealousy, hardship, and other experiences throughout her work as a maid at Vermeer’s house. As Griet becomes closer to Vermeer she did not realize how dangerous the situation can get and what she is in to. This eventually led Griet to leave the house. It was a good and a bad thing for Griet to leave the house. She did not have to work as a maid anymore and was happy to live with Pieter.