The Writer As Explorer

This week we took a deep dive into the novel Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracey Chevalier. We are put into the shoes of a teenage girl named Griet whose life is impacted and changed forever. The way Chevalier describes Griet in the beginning of the book gives the reader the impression that she comes from a lower class family struggling to make ends meet. Hence why Griet is basically forced to take on the role of a maid for a new family. It isn’t until later that we discover what that entails along with her. While reading this novel I often thought if this experience was worth it. I found myself inserting myself into Griet’s shoes wondering if I could handle all that she did. Even though her family wasn’t necessarily far away I wondered if I could handle those circumstances. Also the example of losing a sibling at such a young age and not being able to be with them during their final moments or say goodbye is something that I thought about for myself as well. The feeling that this gave my for Griet was unwavering if that can be summed into an emotion. She is someone who has experienced intense amounts of loss and struggles, but still keeps herself together. I would like to think that she understands it but also at the same time doesn’t because of her lack of experience in life. As I continue to dive into this book I see a young girl developing into a woman and understanding the world around her from her experiences that have taken place from all of this change.