The Glassmaker

“They are inconsequential, and women can make them because of that.”

In this scene, Maria Barovier explains to Orsola why it is socially acceptable for women to make beads, even though they are discouraged from making more prestigious forms of glassware. The quotation shows that Maria functions as a mentor at the beginning of Orsola’s career. The older woman dispenses hard-earned wisdom, and this connection between the two characters also reveals how women learn from each other and find ways to work around patriarchal restrictions.

“It upset Orsola to see his goblet in pieces: his dream gone, set aside for pragmatic business.”

This quotation occurs when Marco smashes an elaborate goblet shortly after taking over the glass workshop upon the death of his father. Marco loved designing the goblet, but it is impractical and won’t sell. Marco’s decision to break the goblet symbolizes his prioritization of pragmatism over creativity and self-fulfillment. Orsola is saddened by this concession, but she also focuses on Prioritizing Family Loyalty Over Personal Desires and knows that Marco’s decision is necessary so that he can honor his responsibilities to maintain the family business.

“She was astonished to discover how demanding babies were. Feeding, changing, rocking, settling.”

Orsola’s reflections reveal that for much of her career, she must balance her domestic responsibilities with her aspirations, especially as the family grows. When Orsola’s sister, Stella, is born, Orsola is required to devote significant energy to caring for the baby, and this new responsibility detracts from the time she has to devote to her craft. The scene introduces a pressure that only increases as time goes on, for Orsola must also care for for nieces and nephews, and eventually, for her own child as well.

“In this magical place where time passes differently, she and those who are important to her have not grown any older.”

This passage explains Chevalier’s use of an unusual narrative trope. The novel repeatedly jumps to different periods in history, even as Orsola and her immediate circle continue to age at a normal pace. This creative twist allows Chevalier to access historical events from multiple centuries of Venetian history while using the slowly aging Rosso family to establish a sense of continuity across the different eras.

“Everyone is afraid: of catching it, or their parents or children or brothers or sisters dying.”

Antonio makes this comment to Orsola during the outbreak of plague in Venice; while Orsola is isolated and shut in her home, Antonio can move around and is exposed to public opinion. Antonio captures the sense of uncertainty and terror that runs rampant because no one understands why people are getting sick, and there is no way to help them or prevent the spread of disease. The quotation reflects the harsh realities of the 16th-century setting, emphasizing that existing medical and scientific knowledge is quite limited. The scene also foreshadows the fact that that same terror and misinformation will recur during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

“She wished her beads did save people, but she knew they wouldn’t.”

This quotation captures Orsola’s reluctance over The Compromising Nature of Business Decisions as she begins manufacturing glass “plague beads” that will be fraudulently marketed as talismans against the disease. Orsola doesn’t like the idea of misleading people or spreading false hope, but she is nonetheless fully committed to aiding her family’s financial survival however she can. The scene implies that while art and creativity are powerful sources of hope and inspiration, they also have distinct limitations.

“The City of Water is gently coming down to earth with a bump, but that bump will never wholly dislodge its Renaissance glory.”

This comment is made when Chevalier introduces the 1631 time period and describes how the status of Venice as a geopolitical power is shifting. Because the novel spans hundreds of years, the narrative spotlights Venice’s historical evolution and gradual decline. This particular quotation captures the idea that Venice’s allure and power are not entirely dependent on wealth or political status, for its uniqueness and beauty will always grant it some measure of standing and appeal as a famous city that is worth visiting.

“Shame on you, putting yourself before the family.”

With this bitter condemnation, Orsola’s mother, Laura, rebukes Orsola for objecting to an arranged marriage to Stefano. In this era, marriage was not viewed as a personal, emotional decision, and due to her many sacrifices over the years, Laura does not believe that her daughter has the right to prioritize her desires over the needs of the family. Within the Rosso family, loyalty and conformity are highly valued, and Orsola’s attempt to follow her heart is openly discouraged.

“They stood there like that, hands in each other’s hair, and it was the most painful and pleasurable moment of her life.”

This quotation describes the scene in which Antonio and Orsola say goodbye forever, just before Antonio leaves Venice for the mainland. This will be the last time that they ever see one another, especially since Antonio becomes subject to normal aging once he departs for the mainland. The quotation captures the bittersweet nature of the moment, which represents the last time that Orsola experiences genuine romantic love.

“Do the Rossos benefit from any of this freedom of thought and body? Is Orsola enlightened, or is she swamped by the more quotidian aspects of a household full of children?”

With these rhetorical questions, Chevalier introduces the section of the novel set in the 18th century and foregrounds historical changes such as growing literacy and advancements in science and philosophy. However, the narrative also points out that these large-scale historical shifts are much less impactful for working-class families and women. By showing the course of societal change over time, Chevalier also delivers a critique of the fact that unjust social inequalities persist despite such advances.

“I am sorry to tell you that the world of commerce turns because of human sweat, much of it unpaid.”

Klingenberg makes this comment to Orsola when the protagonist expresses ambivalence about the fact that African customers sometimes pay for her beads with enslaved people, using human beings as a form of currency. Because of her friendship with Domenego, Orsola is opposed to the practice of enslavement, but in this scene, Klingenberg reveals the cold-blooded nature of his pragmatism when he counters that capitalism is intertwined with practices like enslavement. He also indicates that those who engage in business for profit (including Orsola herself) cannot consider themselves to be morally neutral in this matter.

“Klara’s world of sky-blue silk dresses was very different from hers.”

This quotation reflects Orsola’s awareness of her lower-class position in relation to the luxuries that women such as Klara Klingenberg enjoy. Particularly because Orsola works to produce luxury goods, she is adjacent to a world in which wealthy individuals own beautiful items; however, Orsola never gets to experience that luxury for herself. The quotation is significant because Klara and Orsola become long-term allies and friends, emphasizing the theme of Building Relationships Despite Barriers and Differences.

“If Josephine samples the beauty and spirit of the place, she will be more inclined to encourage her husband to allow us our independence.”

Klingenberg says this to Orsola when he explains why he wants her to make a necklace for the Empress Josephine. At this time, with Venice occupied by the French, the city is very vulnerable, and it lacks power. Because Venice does not have traditional marks of power such as an army, it tries to capitalize on beauty and artistry instead. Notably, Klingenberg’s oblique strategy also reflects his understanding that even within a patriarchal society, women exert an invisible influence upon the men who make instrumental decisions.

“The continuity of Antonio’s dolphins, the knowledge that she was still remembered after so long, was the solid foundation upon which her life was built.”

The quotation describes how Orsola experiences the recurring gift of the dolphins over many decades. She and Antonio do not have any other contact, but the dolphins remind her of their love, and this thought gives her the strength to persevere amidst a life that lacks romantic passion or desire. Although she never falls in love with her husband, Stefano, the dolphins reveal that Orsola does not mind leading an unremarkable life because she knows that she matters to at least one person in the world.

“It was a time that lasted much longer than the plague, though not so many died. It was grimmer, in a way, because it came to seem this grinding poverty would always exist.”

This quotation describes a period in Venetian history in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when Venice suffered economic depression, political instability, and stagnation. Because the novel spans hundreds of years, it contrasts Venice’s most influential moments with its periods of decline and suffering. The quotation also reveals how large-scale political changes—such as the end of the Venetian Republic and the occupation by Austria—impact the daily lives of the Rosso family, not by changing their ideology, but by affecting their ability to provide for themselves.

“With those words the Rosso workshop became a bead factory.”

This quotation describes the moment in which Marco reluctantly agrees to allow the Rosso workshop to focus on making seed beads. This change means adopting different techniques and focusing on a more industrialized and less artisanal model of production. The quotation highlights how the Rosso family business must change to survive, emphasizing that those changes are often difficult and unwelcome for a family whose members have created high-quality glassware for centuries.

“A train along its own metal path would bring far more people to and from Venice than gondolas from Mestre could. How would that change the city? Would it lose its uniqueness?”

This quotation captures Orsola’s curiosity and confusion when she learns that a train is being constructed to allow Venice to be accessed by land. Venice’s character and traditions have been preserved in part because of the city’s isolation and inaccessibility. The quotation shows that changing technology impacts the development of the city, creating both opportunities and challenges.

“Let’s not forget Dickens, Balzac, Flaubert, Eliot, Tolstoy. The novel has come of age.”

This quotation describes the progression of literature over time. As a novelist, Chevalier is interested in tracing the legacy of the literary form and noting how these earlier writers have set the stage for her to be able to write works such as The Glassmaker. While the world changes due to geopolitical shifts, art forms also evolve, and this discussion creates a meaningful context for Orsola’s story, even though she herself never reads any of these authors.

“It seemed the mastery of this most fickle substance had nothing to do with the blood in your veins or your mother’s milk.”

This quotation occurs when Orsola notes with surprise that Rosella has an innate talent for glassmaking. Rosella does not come from a glassmaking family; she is Marco’s stepdaughter and Monica’s daughter from her first marriage. The Rosso family, and many others who work as glassmakers, believe that skill is transmitted through bloodlines and are often mistrustful of outsiders, but in this scene, Rosella reveals that anyone can have talent and interest.

“Underneath all that change, the planet is heating up. The sea is rising, Venice is sinking.”

This quotation is located at the start of the section set in 2019 and reflects the threat of climate change, both globally and for Venice specifically. While many of Venice’s earlier threats were tied to political and military factors, environmental changes gradually become the greatest risk facing a city with a uniquely precarious relationship to its geography. With this comment, Chevalier emphasizes her novel’s relevance to modern-day issues, using the hard-earned lessons of history to comment upon current events, as seen through the eyes of her world-weary protagonist.

“Orsola had never been in love with Stefano, but she loved him.”

This quotation captures the nuances of Orsola’s feelings for Stefano, who is her husband and the father of her daughter. Orsola is initially reluctant to marry Stefano and never feels the passion for him that she once shared with Antonio. However, over their many decades together, Stefano and Orsola create a companionable and supportive partnership, and in this passage, Orsola acknowledges that their connection is indeed a form of love.

“As soon as they could, they would go back to consuming, to traveling, to using the world as a playground the way Venice had been used for centuries.”

This quotation captures Orsola’s musings as she witnesses the way that the world changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Orsola takes the time to reflect because she is isolated and thus temporarily freed from many of the distractions of daily life. However, she concedes that she and everyone else will likely return to their destructive but pleasant habits as soon as their isolation ends.

“There was a pricelessness to these tiny, hard things. They endured, and retained the history of their owners, and of their makers.”

This quotation occurs as Orsola muses on the fate of her beads during the pandemic. At this time, she is an elderly woman and has lost her husband, so she naturally begins to reflect on what she has accomplished and tries to make sense of her life’s purpose. Orsola takes comfort in the knowledge that, while her beads have often been treated as trivial, they nonetheless endure, representing her lasting legacy and implying that humanity will always have an interest in creativity and beauty.