Girl With a Pearl Earring

Trace the references to Griet’s “wide eyes” throughout the novel and analyze what they suggest about her position as both subject—who looks at—and object—who is looked at. 

Analyze the symbolism of the many references to knives—from kitchen knife to palette knife to butcher knife—taking into account knives both as utilitarian tools and as symbolic of violence and the unpredictable power that accompanies it.

Compare and contrast Vermeer with Griet’s father as symbolic of the novel’s treatment of artistic vision and blindness, including a comparison of their relationship to Griet and their respective art forms, Vermeer’s paintings and Griet’s father’s tiles.

Trace the references to Catholicism (the minority religion in Delft) and Protestantism (the majority religion in Delft) to analyze the role of religion in the novel’s exploration of art, gender, and social expectations, including consideration of the prejudice Griet exhibits at the start of the novel. 

Trace the references to blood in the novel, from the blood on the butchers’ aprons and hands, to the blood Griet tastes when Pieter first kisses her, to the blood of childbirth Catharina leaves in Vermeer’s studio after giving birth there, considering it in comparison to descriptions of paint and to the mind-body dichotomy prevalent in Western thought.

Explore the tension between reproduction and artistic production in an analysis of the representation of female agency, including, as well, Griet’s acknowledgement in the final section of the book that she let go of her devotion to Vermeer only after she became a mother.

Analyze the character of Maria Thins, who is often “behind the scenes,” but is also integral to the novel’s plot and to the smooth functioning of the Vermeer household. Considering her personal history—having left her abusive husband and institutionalizing her abusive son—how does she function in terms of the novel’s exploration of gender identity and female agency?

Analyze the function of one or more minor female characters, such as Tanneke, van Ruijven’s wife, Maertge and/or Cornelia, Agnes, or Griet’s mother, in the novel’s plot and in terms of Griet’s development.