One of the biggest developments in Griet is her ability to become less the observant one and more the one who’s directly involved. Griet’s original intention for herself was to stay out of trouble and do whatever was asked of her, to keep a low profile. At the beginning of the story, all Griet wanted was to provide for her family and to see them whenever she could. She didn’t like being in the house of her master and mistress necessarily other than to make money. But as the story progresses, Griet is doing quite the opposite. The irony of this is why Griet was summoned to be a maid in the first place. Her attention to detail, her ability to remain almost invisible, and to make adjustments without it appearing so were the qualities that got her hired. Now, Griet has tampered with almost everything.
However, Griet is a first person narrator meaning that by default she is almost unreliable. That being said, can we overlook her own honesty and self-awareness? When Griet confronts Franz about him sleeping with his master’s wife, he calls her out for being attracted to her master. Rather than tell us the audience that this was a lie, she’s honest. “He did. He did know me better. I opened my mouth but no words came out” (186). So why is Griet telling this story if all it’s doing is casting shame onto her?
There is something about Griet that even she herself keeps hidden. On page 138 she says: “When it was uncovered it seemed to belong to another Griet—a Griet who would stand in an alley alone with a man, who was not so calm and quiet and clean. A Griet like the women who dared to bare their heads. That was why I kept my hair completely hidden—so that there would be no trace of that Griet.“ Griet herself is aware that there is a side of her she doesn’t want the world to see. That side comes out every now and then throughout the story, but much more so towards the end. Griet is almost warning the readers of the allure of wealth, money, and power and how it can easily become desire.
I never thought about this being a warning to those on Greed, but it makes sense, especially coming from someone with a strong religious background (especially Puritans). Do you think it could also be a warning to those about lust as well? Especially lusting after something that isn’t yours (like another woman’s husband, a different, wealthier life, etc.)?
“Griet herself is aware that there is a side of her she doesn’t want the world to see. That side comes out every now and then throughout the story, but much more so towards the end. Griet is almost warning the readers of the allure of wealth, money, and power and how it can easily become desire.”
Excellent!