The Face on the Milk Carton (Page 137-184)

Title: The Face on the Milk Carton
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
Page 137- 184

Summary
About two months had passed, Janie’s life “returned” back to normal. Taking with friends and dating her boyfriend seem natural. But, in reality, Janie’s conscience stills bothered her more and more as time goes by. All the stress was building up by the secret that caused the short break up of Janie and Reeve. The main cause of the verbal fight between the couple was that Reeve told his older sister about her situation. Without his girlfriend’s consent, the furious Janie took all her stress out to him. For that short time period (of 2 weeks), Janie came to her senses and reflected the fact that the secret must be divulge. After the conciliation of the teens, Reeve told Janie the discovery his sister found. The truth the big sister found was that Hannah stole her; her “parents” were actually innocent. That part could be considered to be the resolution. The anguish Janie felt disappeared and her courage returned to tell her parents about her secret. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson’s reaction were logical. They could not believe the fact her precious daughter did that to Janie’s family and herself. At the end, Mrs. Johnson decided to contact the Springs about Janie being with her. Mrs. Johnson said, “If I could have any wish, it would be that no parent on this earth ever suffered a missing child” (Cooney 180). She felt guilty to have someone else’s child. Therefore to stop the suffering of another mother, Mrs. Johnson was fine to return Janie to her real home. Even though, Janie preferred to stay with the Johnsons. The book concluded with Janie on the phone calling the Springs. The dénouement was, “Hi. It’s..your daughter. Me, Jannie” (Cooney 184).

Quote
“In the velvety silence of the room Janie, Lizzie [Reeve’s older sister], Reeve, her mother, and her father listened to the telephone ring in New Jersey” (Cooney 184).

Reaction
Throughout the book, Cooney uses suspense to make the reader even more interested in the story. The outrageous plot of a girl being kidnapped is extreme. In addition, the denouement ended with a hangover. Due to the fact, there is a sequel, which makes most people to keep reading her novellas. Her writing style is just full of suspense and mystery. The quote above supports my statement. Quotes like this keep the reader in tension. The quote was taken in the occation where the Johnsons were contacting the Springs. To me, “velvety silence” has a huge connotation that makes me think of the silence of a haunted house. The book is just full of many connotations that make the people wonder what will happen next.

I rate this book 4.9/5-too much suspense almost gave a heart attack ;). (Recommend this to bibliophiles who love the genre of mystery)

The Face on the Milk Carton (Page 63-136)

Title: The Face on the Milk Carton
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
Page 63-136

Summary
With the doubt of living with the Johnsons, Janie began to research about her case. The first step to determine whether the Johnsons had kidnapped her was to look around her house. Janie went to the place where no one went, the attic. In the desolated area, Janie found many boxes with labels on it. The peculiar thing about the labels was that one of them was labeled Hannah. Janie thought who’s Hannah? (Cooney 67) With that box labeled Hannah, Janie discovered a small cloth of the polka dots dress in the milk carton photo. After some time, Janie began to avoid looking at the Johnsons. All her doubts even made her have “daymares” or bad daydreams. Her eating habits were deteriorated. Until the curiosity of who’s Hannah, was released by Janie’s “parents” asking her what was wrong. The response was the question of who’s Hannah. For a short moment, her parents were surprise to hear that name. All the Johnsons had told her was that Hannah was their real daughter. To make the story short, Hannah was taken by a cult’s beliefs. The parents told her that in the 1960’s to 1970’s, the Hare Krishna movement enticed people to joined them and leave their family back. The Johnsons experienced the lost of a dear one. That’s explained the part about Mrs. Johnson being strict to Janie, to avoid losing her. Ironically, the mother was still losing Janie. After losing Hannah for some time, the parents felt lonesome. Once, suddenly Hannah appeared with a child in their house. That child was the 3 year old Janie. Ever since then, they took care of her and Hannah became missing- due to the cult. To Janie, the story was fabricated. Deep in her mind, Janie knew that the lost of a daughter led the lonely Johnsons to kidnap another child to replace Hannah. Though, Janie decided to keep living with them. As for the relationship of Janie and Reeve Shieldses, they became closer enough to the point of kissing each other in public. In addition, Reeve became an accomplice to hide her secret from her parents.

Quote
“We’re related, it’s okay, she’s all but my mother, there’s no daymare, no nightmare, no demons, Hannah just had an illegitimate baby and it’s me and that’s all there is to it” (Cooney 81).

Reaction
The internal conflict stills goes on. Janie decided to be Janie Johnson, not Jannie Spring. However, her conscience mortifies her every time she looks at the milk carton. The feelings Janie had after the story of Hannah are reflected in the quote above. To me, that quote shows the self denial she got to face about the Johnsons having a reason to have her/kidnap her. The part of the quote, “we’re related,” shows the fact that Janie’s desire to be a Johnson, even though she’s not. For some reason, Janie wants to hide the truth about her being kidnapped. The troublesome part about this quote is that there’s ambiguity. The quote might not be self denial of her being kidnapped but a resolution to maybe accept her fate to live with them. She had accepted to be her daughter and leave her original family back in New Jersey.

The Face on the Milk Carton (Page 1-62)

Title: The Face on the Milk Carton
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
Page 1 to 62

Summary
Almost no one looks at the back of any milk carton. If you do, then you might have notice some advertisements of some famous celebrities, interesting life facts, and pictures of missing children, right? The book’s exposition begins with the act of looking at the back of the milk carton. The life of Janie Johnson changed dramatically since the moment of looking at it. Janie Johnson is the average 16 years old teenager, a sophomore, wanting to have a driving license. Her close friends are Sarah-Charlotte Sherwood and Adair O’Dell. Her childhood friend is the unreliable yet friendly Reeve Shieldses, also her neighbor. He is a senior in her high school. Janie and Reeve develop a sense of attraction which led to be a couple. So, there is romance in Janie’s life. One day, in lunch time, Janie drank her milk carton and saw a missing girl. That girl had a huge resemblance of herself. The milk cartoon stated that Jannie Spring lost at a New Jersey Shopping Mall at the age of 3. Ever since then, Janie pondered whether Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Johnson were her really her parents or just some kidnappers. Throughout the story, she faced an internal conflict to whether to tell everyone she was kidnapped or just ignore that fact. It is unbelievable to know that her loving caring parents were some imposters and criminals. A major mental and emotional impact Janie felt all over the fact that she might had been kidnapped for over 13 years, without knowing. Janie had to choose a decision to whether live on in a fake home or just return back to her real family and her genuine home. By just dialing a phone call reporting her location and abductors, her life could be alter.

Quote
“I have a mother and father…I have a childhood…I was not kidnapped…kidnapping means bad people… I don’t know any bad people…therefore I am making this up” (Cooney 14).

Reaction
Caroline Cooney’s writing style is really intriguing. The plot is dramatic and unique. The narrator is in third person point of view. Oddly, the narrator is capable to read the main character’s thoughts, an omniscient narration. The quote above described the self denial Janie faced after reading the back of the milk carton. Notice all the ellipsis Janie’s reaction had, she became uncertain of whether thinking or not. Her reaction reflects the fact that her life was complicated from then on. The question is whether Janie will call the police or stay quiet and live on with a fake family and a fake happiness.

Stradivari's Genius (Page 167-219)

Title: Stradivari’s Genius-Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection
Author: Toby Faber
Page 167-219

Summary
The advancement in technology influenced the expansion of classical music to the New World. The main component that expanded classical music to other countries is the phonograph. It was invented by Thomas Edison in 1877. It facilitated people to hear a diversity of songs from foreign countries. Miss Marie Hall’s violin’s recordings were the first to be made in that time period. Via radio, more people became aware of the sweet tones the Strads were able to make. Ever since then, Strads became priceless relics throughout the entire world. Various collectors invested millions to get their hands on a Strad. There was one occasion a wealthy Cuban owned the Lipinski. The musicians owning a Strad were considered fortunate. One of the well known is “the ultimate wunderkind”: Yehudi Menuhin (Faber 173). Menuhin one of the most influential violinists in the 20th century due to his great debuts in America and Europe, his career started at the age of 11. Another virtuoso who still owns the Davidov is Yo-Yo Ma. For Ma, getting the Davidov became a huge dilemma since it was sold for “a relatively undemanding price” (Faber 201). As for the Viotti, Faber stated there was confusion of two 1974 Strads. The one Ms. Hall owned was not the Viotti, it was later on name the Marie Hall. The genuine violin was located in London in 1905. As the latest owner of the Viotti died in 2002, his will was to displayed it alongside the Messiah, which yet it haven’t been accomplish. With many copies of the Messiah, at one point people became doubtful of its originally. Already displayed in the Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, many officials tested if was the real deal, which was at the end. Lastly, the 1680 Paganini remains in the famous Tokyo String Quartet. It’s still intact and heard by many in concerts and other great events.

Quote
“For fifty years it hung there in semi-splendor, its varnish pristine, its corners unworn, its purfling exact, the most perfectly preserved example of Stradivari’s workmanship from the very peak of his golden period” (Faber 210).

Reaction
The entire book is full of imagery. From the introduction to the aftermath, Faber writes in full details and his choice of words is understandable, mentioned in previous posts. It is amusing how his writing style can create a great picture such as mentioned on the quote above. The quote describes the Messiah in the Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum. This is another quote that lauds Stradivari’s craftsmanship. His instruments were so perfect that had been passed along with through many virtuosi. It is a fact, Faber persuaded me throughout the entire book that Stradivari is a real genius.

I rate this book 5 out 5. Admire Faber's writing style!

Stradivari's Genius (Page 132-166)

Summary
Over time, many virtuosi had own the five Strads Faber had mentioned. Charles Davidov encountered the great Strad cello, the Davidov, in the mid 1800’s. Davidov was “hailed as Europe’s greatest virtuoso before he was twenty-five” (Faber 140). There are many stories how he acquire the Strad. The most well known story is reminisced by Yo Yo Mah, which is about Count Wielhoski. In the winter of 1885-86, Davidov met Count Wielhoski. Both men celebrated the count’s birthday. Suddenly, the count decided to give his beloved cello. Since then, Davidov had gained honorific acknowledgments. The main one is to be entitled the “Soloist to His Majesty.” He was the main musician of the Russian Emperial Orchestra. However, there was a huge commotion over him in 1875. The story was that the Russian Court expected to entertain the Sweden monarchs. The problem was Davidov was in Finland, not Russia. Therefore, the Russian guards were looking for him until they found him and return back to Russia. It is comical since many people were looking for him, even Davidov had no idea what was going on. After his death in 1889, the Davidov, was purchased by an British for $230,000.

The next virtuosa to play the Viotti was Ms. Marie Hall. She was come from a very poor family. Many people were enchanted by her sensational violinist’s skills, performing in the English streets. With the level of penury her family was, she was limited to travel around the world. However, at the age of 15, Philip Napier Miles offered to pay her family $100 each week for borrowing her. The “chains” had been broken, bringing her full potential to become the violinist the world expected.

Quote
“Her career would indeed continue, and the Viotti would continue to be heard, but few would have guessed the changes the next few years would bring from all violinists” (Faber 163).

Reaction
With so many details, Faber has a great control of writing the book. He facilitates the reader with simple terms in order to not lose the reader in the large stream of information. The main reason may be the great sense of transition he has as the writer. I had notice Faber collaborates each chapter to ensure they support each other. If one chapter is not read, then the reader will be lost of the occurrence of events in the story. It is essential to read any book in chronological order to understand the main gist of the entire book, especially in a book of history. I also had notice the last sentence of every chapter ends up with the “to be continue” ending. Notice on the quote above, Faber states Ms. Marie Hall will impact other violinist with her playing. He foreshadows high achievements made by Hall. The “changes” that will revolutionize the classical music’s hearing or medium.

Stradivari's Genius (Page 81-131)

Title: Stradivari’s Genius-Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection
Author: Toby Faber
Page 81- 131

Summary
As many virtuosos over time play the same brand instrument, Stradivari’s masterpieces became even more lauded. Viotti’s influence on violin playing demanded the use of a modern bow. With the help of Tourte-a bow maker, both formatted the idea of a manageable and powerful bow that will improve the sound from any string instruments. Even though Viotti’s life seemed successful, he was not. The life of Viotti has been a tragedy. Viotti tried to become a business man but luck was not by his side. His life had always been affected by any political event such as the French Revolution, Realpolitik movement, and the assassination of the duc de Berry at his opera house in 1820. At the end of his life, Viotti remained with a huge debt. After his death, all his belongings were sold to pay up his debt, including the Viotti. The next violin, the Khevenhuller, was formally a gift from Prince Kehevehuller toward his second violinist wife, Guiseppina Strassoldo. There are not enough details about his wife and her talents as the owner of the Strad. According to Robert Schumann’s memorable phrase, Nicolo Paganini was “the turning-point in the history of virtuosity.” In the nineteenth century, Paganini’s most remembered by his “feverish talent, technical brilliance, and dramatic excess” (Faber 104). The narrator emphasized Paganini did not use the Strad but only thought as a part of his quartet collection in his late fifty’s. Death came at the age of 57 due to tuberculosis of the larynx, a sickness. As the Strads rose from forgotten instruments to famous, many luthiers replicated them. The most famous man to do that was Jean-Babtiste Vuillaume. He was a very skillful craftsman, but still his replicas could not be compared to the real things. His ownership over the Messiah was fatalistic since his friend Tarisio, a very wealthy dealer, owned it. After Tarisio’s death, Vuillaume purchased from his family members 150 instruments, which included 24 Strads. During his entire life, Vuillame sold most of his items except the Messiah. It has been said this particular Strad was so mystical that people do not sell it until they are tear apart by death.

Quote
“For the next hundred years Great Britain, as the most prosperous economy in the world, was to act as a magnet for Strads from around Europe” (Faber 85).

Reaction
Faber has a good sense of connecting historical events and famous European violinists. As many remember how talented a virtuoso was, sudden events ruined his economic life such as Viotti. Also, as Paganini was at his peak in life, the successful economy in Great Britain enticed him to travel there and perform. In the quote above, it gives the allusion of the development of the Industrial Revolution. Refer to the phrase “the most prosperous economy in the world,” meaning the Industrial Revolution, which began in the countryside of England. There is also a literary term know as a simile. The simile compares Great Britain to a magnet. The “magnet” hosting future virtuosos’ stages.

Stradivari's Genius (Page 60-80)

Title: Stradivari’s Genius-Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection
Author: Toby Faber
Page 60-80

Summary
The narrator starts describing the very first violinist that owns the Lipinski. He was called Giuseppe Tartini. His most famous opus is “The Devil’s Sonata.” According to Tartini, his most famous composition grew from a mysterious dream. He recalled he saw the devil and sold his soul in order to produce a beautiful melody from his violin. The melody intrigued Tartini so much that he wrote it down. Still, his imitation of the song remained inferior compare to the one in his dream. Tartini is the one of most influential violinists in the 18th century that made the violin more popular. His contribution led to teaching Geatano Pugnani- a pupil of his. Later on, Pugnani was the teacher of Giovanni Battista Viotti in the late 1700’s. Viotti is the reason the Stradivari violin became a big success in the entire world. His recitals in Paris, France made the forgotten Strads famous. Remember, Antonio Stradivari died, therefore most people forgot about his superb craftsmanship in Europe. The French audience was so satisfied of Viotti’s performances that most people wanted to imitate him. In order to do that, the Strads were required. There are many theories how Giovanni Viotti gained the Viotti. The most romantic theory would be he was the lover of the Russian empress Catherine. The love token was the violin to make him stay in Russia, but his adventurous spirit could no longer stay with her. Other theories are he found it in his European tours or in his native Italy. The puzzling mystery of how Viotti found his Strad.

Quote
“He had brought the craft of violin-making to a peak which no predecessor could have imagined, and in doing so had gained the recognition of archbishops, dukes, and king across Europe” (Faber 66).

Reaction
The structure of book goes chronologically. The smooth transition from the death of Stradivari to the success of his forgotten violins has been amazing. Faber makes every chapter more intriguing by telling the reader of a famous violinist to an even greater virtuoso. It is really spectacular the format Faber does to connect people’s roles to develop the high reputation the Strads still have today. The quote above gives a brief summary of how Stradivari eradicated the uncertain ideas the people thoughts toward violins. Notice, Faber states his contributions made the royal class acknowledge the scandalous violin, even though the Roman Catholic Church opposed it. The storyline had been fine so far.

Stradivari's Genius (Page 1-59)

Title: Stradivari’s Genius-Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection
Author: Toby Faber
Page 1-59

Summary
The narrator begins to describe how immense the Stradivari’s instruments are in the world. People are even willing to pay up to two million dollars just for a Strad (Stradivari in a short version). The sad part about these instruments is the limited amount they are left. From one thousand Strad, only 600 had been preserve present time. The exposition is about the history behind five violins and one cello. Oddly, every Strad has a name. The names of the Strads Faber will inform to the reader are the Messiah, the Viotti, the Kehevenhyller, the Paganini, the Lipinski, and the Davidov. These Strads had been carved by the great luthier, aka the craftsman of instruments, Antonio Stradivari. Over time, these violins had been own by great virtuosos. The history of the beginning of craft making violins had been included. It all began in Cremona, Italy in the 14th century. At that time the violin had a questionable reputation and was not popular. Thanks to the French Queen Catherine de Medici, violins became well known. Due to the fact she was the first monarch to help a group of violinists in her balls. After that, violin- making became a competition. The very first man to improve the antique shape of the violin is known as Andrea Amati. He was able to amplify the violin’s sounds more clearly and beautifully. His name became known as the early luthier from the 15th century. In 1564, Amati carved the oldest violin in the world. His name became famous that made his upcoming generations luthiers as well. The Amati luthiers faced inferiority in the 17th century as another Cremonese craftsman began to make his masterpieces-Antonio Stradivari. His works outshined other luthiers due to his unique characteristics all his instruments has. The clarity and sweetness his instruments were the basic reasons the Strads are the best. Little is known of Stradivari, except he married twice and his children could not keep up of his amazing skills. Basically, the Strads could not be made easily and his family was not interested of keeping his legacy after his death. The big improvements Stradivari contributed to the violin craftsmanship, his remaining were buried in the Church of San Domenico besides his first wife that both lived together for almost 40 years.

Quote
“Beautifully inlaid, these violins carry elaborate purfling and elegant tracery about their sides and on their scrolls” (Faber 27).

Reaction
Admiration is the tone of the narrator has toward Stradivari’s instruments. The narrator’s statements are in high details that make the reader ponder how skillful the great luthier was. The narrator convinced me Stradivari was a very amazing craftsman. The quote above supports my statement of respect Faber feels about Stradivari’s contribution to classical music. The book is well written and interesting. Faber’s style is full of imagery and the pertinent information does not make the reader fall asleep. A great book about violin’s history!

Girl With A Pearl Earring (Film)

Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring (Film)
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Director: Pieter Webber

Characters Minimized/ Cut
Many characters are cut in the film such as Agnes, Frank, and Mrs. Van Ruijven. The siblings are important since it tell the audience a bit about Griet’s life. Mrs. Van Ruijven is significant because her circumstances with her husband’s affairs. Hinting at that Mr. Van Ruijven had bad intentions toward Griet. Other characters that were minimized were Vermeers’ children. The children should represent support and trouble for Griet. Maerte is shown but did not talk and Cornelia still remained as Catherina’s “telling” girl. Short scenes with the butcher’s son, Pieter, and the relationship are not as intense in the film compare to the book. There is a bit disappointing about the cuts in the characters.

Characters Emphasized
The film emphasized more in Griet’s job in the Vermeer’s house. In the house, the relationship between Griet and the Vermeers was “cold.” The impression for the audience about Griet would be just a maid, almost a flat character. However, in the book, Griet is described more as a rounded character. Her family and friends had parts in the book. The interaction between Vermeer and Griet was portrayed the same as the book. Mainly, Griet’s relationship with the Vermeers was emphasized.

Narration
In the book, the narration is in first person point of view (1st POV). The film could not be like that but, it would be strange to hear the narrator throughout the film. Therefore, the narrator is limited. The audience could not tell what Griet thought of her master but we (audience) could tell by the look of her in various scenes toward Vermeer. The audience has to assume to understand the characters’ thoughts. Remember, in the book, the reader gets vivid descriptions to understand the situation. The film makes the images in order for the people to understand the story.


Motifs
The main motif in the film is the huge eight shaped star shown at the start and end of the film. The star is located on the floor. That star symbolized the choices Griet’s made during the film. First, Griet stepped on the star to head toward the Vermeer’s house. Then, she ran away from the Vermeer’s house to somewhere else. In the film do not shows where she went but the days of being a maid were over. She decided to run away from her masters. The star represented Griet’s choices. Another motif is the appearance of Cornelia. Every time the little girl appears, the audience could tell she foreshadow trouble for the protagonist. She was Catherina’s snitch.

Music/ Sound Effects
The music for the film’s background is high quality. It was excellent. The background music fits perfectly in every scene. For example, as Griet cleans Vermeer’s studio, the music is soft and soothing. It is relaxing because the characters enjoy cleaning the studio. Another scene is when Griet returns the pearl’s earring to Maria Thins. The background music is a bit dramatic and “dark.” Similar to the idea of a“foreshadowing misfortune” music. The music helped convey the situation’s atmosphere in the film.

Film Terms in the Film
One of the most interesting shots in the film is when Catherina knows about the painting and Maria Thins is behind her. It is classified as a point of view shot, reaction shot, and medium shot. The point of view is from Vermeer. The director’s shows the audience how Vermeer sees his wife after she saw the painting. She seems to be betrayed about the secret paint. The shot is a reaction shot because it shows both Maria Thins’ and Catherina’s expression after seeing the painting. Catherina looks depressed and miserable. Maria Thin looks worried and regretful. Lastly, the shot only shows the waist upward of both actresses. Notice that Maria Thins looks smaller than Catherina in the shot. It symbolize how helpless the mother was to stop her daughter’s anguish.

Girl With A Pearl Earring (Page 182-233)

Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Page 182- 233

Summary
Many months had passes, Griet and Vermeer were working together in order to finish two paintings at the same time. As the concert painting was completed, Griet’s portrait still needed some touch ups. Except, there was something missing in the painting, the elegant turban and Griet’s posture seem fine. Vermeer felt his painting was not finished. The idea of the pearl earring erupted one night when Catherina wore pearl earrings. With an emerald evening gown and her earrings, the earring stood out so much that Vermeer thought about it. The element needed in the painting was pearl earrings. The painting seemed dull and needed the opaque yet shiny pearls to illuminate Griet’s face. Griet struggled to decide whether to wear Catherina’s pearl earrings, she felt as a traitor toward her mistress. Yet, Vermeer asked her to wear them. She couldn’t contradict the person who had saved her and her family from starvation. At the end, Griet accepted Vermeer’s request and the painting was completely finish. The problem came when Catherina saw Griet’s portrait. She was so mad that a maid had worn her beautiful pearl earring and that her own husband kept it a secret from her. Catherina’s anger caused so much commotion that Griet ran away from the Vermeers. Ironically, Griet did not have a chance to see her portrait completed. Ten years had gone by, Griet decided to live with Pieter as the butcher’s wife. The Vermeers had not pay the money they own to the butcher. However, Pieter did not mind. He explained it was the cost for his love. Anyhow, Griet’s life had changed dramatically. She became a common butcher and a mother. There were rumors of the Vermeers’ lost of Johannes Vermeer. Catherine had 11 children to feed and huge debt to pay up. One day, Maerte, daughter of the Vermeers, came to invite Griet to their house. Once again in the same place, Griet saw Catherina. Catherina only requested her presence just to follow her husband’s will. According to the will, Griet should keep the pearl earrings. After that, Griet left with the earrings and sold them. The money was to repay the Vermeers’ debt to her husband. Griet wanted to prove that, “a maid came free” (Chevalier 233).

Quote
“As she turned her head to brush more powder on her face the earring swung back and forth, caught in the light from the front windows. It made us look at her face, and reflected light as her eyes did” (Chevalier 193).

Reaction
Chevalier’s narration style throughout the novel had been outstanding. The storyline of the book had been amusing. Chevalier’s original creativity to decipher the history behind Vermeer’s enigmatic painting to the world is superb. The history behind the idea of the pearl earring in the painting was unique. In the quote above, Chevalier conveys to the reader how Vermeer came up with the pearl earring idea. As Catherina nags to Griet about her clumsiness to spill wine over her expensive green dress, the pearl earring shined with its radiance. This radiance caught Vermeer to make Griet wear the earring that foreshadowed trouble ahead. Also, the quote has a simile. The simile compares Catherina’s eyes and the pearl’s light, how they complemented each other. The dénouement was fantastic. Griet came back to peaceful times and lived happily. It was shocking when Vermeer died. I did not see that coming. Overall, the book was great!

I rate this book 4.9 out of 5. A bit dissapointed with the dénouement. ;)

Girl With A Pearl Earring (Page 118-181)

Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Page 118-181

Summary
Griet was now 17 years old. The butcher’s son Pieter became interested in her. Griet still avoid his feelings. Except, soon her parents noticed him by his gifts to the emaciated family. Due to his gifts, Griet’s parents influenced her to be with him. Therefore, they started to date. As Griet’s relationship with Pieter became more intense and deep, Vermeer was done with the baker’s daughter portrait and began to paint another painting. The painting was a portrait of van Ruijven’s wife. With the help of Griet, Vermeer became a bit faster in his work. The faster Vermeer could paint, the more money will bring to the large family. Griet’s help toward Vermeer was a secret from Catherine. Griet felt anguish to run the errands of the mistress and the master simultaneously. One day, Mr. van Ruijven came up with the idea of painting Griet. He wanted a painting of her and, of course, Vermeer couldn’t deny his request. Mr. van Ruijven was his patron. He was well known womanizer and had a bad reputation despise his wealth. Once, there was a rumor of one of van Ruijven’s maid being painted with her master. At the end of the painting, the maid was pregnant. Griet heard the rumor from Pieter. She became aware of Mr. van Ruijven’s intentions. Maria Thins appeased Griet that she will not be painted by the likes of Vermeer’s patron. Thins tried to evade van Ruijven’s train of thoughts by proposing of his son in law to paint three musicians in a concert which he thought it was an excellent idea. On the other hand, the patron’s idea remained. Vermeer painted two pieces of arts. One painting about his patron and his two daughters playing musical instruments and another one of Griet alone, Griet’s portrait was a kept a secret from anyone in the story besides Maria Thins.

Quote
“His expression was not angry, but weary, as of a man who just seen all the wood he must chop, or a maid faced with a mountain of laundry” (Chevalier 163).

Reaction
Finally, Vermeer starts to paint Griet. Chevalier made a great assumption behind this mysterious painting. Since, most historians do not know who the girl in Vermeer’s painting is and why he painted her. Anyhow, Griet’s life has been common. She had gotten used to the endless chores and Catherine’s expectation from her. Griet’s conscience became heavier and heavier every single day by keeping secrets from her mistress. I foreshadow the secret will be divulge anytime soon. In the quote above, the narrator describes the reader about Vermeer being drunk. Vermeer was jaded by doubling his job. This quote is excellence since it has two literary devices. One is the simile with Vermeer and a man who cuts wood. The other one is the hyperbole with Griet and her laundry. The reader gets the idea that Griet has a ton of laundry but not exactly as a mountain. It is an interesting quote!

Girl With A Pearl Earring (Page 61-117)

Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Page 61-117

Summary
As days when on, Griet had gotten used to the mistreatments of Catherina and Tanneke and her duties as a maid in the Vermeer household, her favorite part of being a maid was to clean the Johannes’ studio. Her talent to clean the studio “without moving anything” was superb. Griet only had to clean the room and then put the objects were they were. There had been some interaction between Griet and Johannes, but barely they saw each other. One day, while Griet was doing some errands for her mistress, Priet the son informed her about the plague near her family’s house. A sudden quarantine was place there. With fear and anguish, Griet runs down to the Vermeers and asked them to let her go. Except, Catherine rejected her request, Griet was not allow to return to her house for many weeks. During those weeks, Johannes had finally finish his portray of van Ruijven’s wife. The patrons were elated to see the final result. Anyhow, as the quarantine had been finally lifted, Griet received the news that her younger sister Agnes had died because of the plague. Grieve and sorrow came to Griet’s family, everyone became distant. On the other hand, Catherine gave labor to her baby. One perished and another life flourished. The Vermeers hosted a celebration party, which led Griet to distract herself from her family’s sorrow. The party was the only event that kept the house festive for the whole year of 1664. In 1665, Johannes had begun to paint another painting, thanks to Griet while she was cleaning the dusty windows in the studio. The streaks of sunlight illuminated Griet’s face while she turn toward him, this event led to her being more involve with this talented painter. From that moment on, Griet had begun to help his master by crushing bones to create paint or other errands behind her mistress’s back. Griet began to assist him while he painted the portrait of the baker’s daughter. Despite the hard time Tanneke gave her, after she found out several weeks after the master began to order Griet, Griet was still satisfied to spend time with him.

Quote
“The shock of his touch made me drop the muller, which rolled off the table and fell on the floor” (Chevalier 103).

Reaction
Chevalier’s transitions from time to time had been excellent. As 1664 ends, 1665 begins; the story takes a dramatic turn as Griet helps her master do another painting of the baker’s wife. In these series of pages, the narrator and Vermeer became more close to each other. Compared to the exposition, both maid and master work together to finish this painting. Despite keeping it a secret with the rest of the world, the interaction between these two develop a strong relationship with each other, maid and master. I assume that Griet might fall for Vermeer, which would be strange since he is already married to a haughty wife. The quote above comes from the passage when Vermeer showed her how to grind bones in order to create black paint. The touch of his master made Griet embarrassed, there are complex feelings Griet developed toward his master. They might be admiration, gratitude, curiosity or maybe love?

Girl With A Pearl Earring (Page 1- 60)

Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Page 1 to 60

Summary
The exposition of the book began in 1664 at Delft, Netherland. The main character is Griet. Her family was composed of a mother, a father, an older brother, and a little sister. Her older brother’s name is Frans and her little sister’s name is Agnes. The family had strong bonds. She was only sixteen years old when her lifestyle turned upside down after her dear father became blind. Her father was a tile painter but in the tile factory, an accident occurred. The accident’s impact was the loss of his eyesight. Since then, Griet’s family had economic troubles. However, one day her mother introduced her to the Vermeers. The Vermeers were well known at the time because of Johannes Vermeer, a talented painter. He was married with Catharina. They had five children and expecting another one. The Vermeers sought for a maid and specially a maid to clean Vermeer’s studio “without moving anything” (Chevalier 9). After Griet moved to the Vermeer’s household, she faced extreme house tasks to earn few pennies to bring bread to her family. She was in charge of the whole house’s laundry and Catharina’s errands to bring meat and fish to the house. During her errands, Griet had met the butcher’s son, Pieter. He became interested in her but she avoided his intentions. Many weeks passed, Griet felt many kind of feeling people felt about her. Catherina and Tanneke detested her because Griet was allowed to enter Vermeer’s studio, in order to clean it. Tanneke is another maid of the Vermeers. Despise their jealousy, Griet made an excellent job cleaning and had fun. She saw the painting Vermeer had worked on. It was a portrait of Mrs. Van Ruijven. The van Ruijvens were Vermeer’s patrons. As for the relationship between Griet and Johannes, they are distant. Similar to a master and maid relationship, barely Griet talked to him.

Quote
“She moved down the hall way like a ship with its sails full, holding on to her bunch of keys so that they wouldn’t clink, and disappeared into the great hall” (Chevalier 54).

Reaction
Tracy Chevalier’s writing style is so vivid and enchanting. Even though the point of view is in first person, her wise choice of words made the book more enjoyable. One of the best styles of narration I had read in my entire life! The storyline of the book is incredible. Most people who read few pages will be entice to read until the very last page. Believe, I am one of them. So, the narrator of the story is Griet, protagonist. In the quote above, she compared her mistress, Catherine, to a ship. The quote is taken when Griet assisted her mistress to her room since she was pregnant. The keys symbolize the power Catherine had in the house. They signify authority she has in her house. The reason is that Catherine’s mother, Maria Thins was the really one in charge. She was wiser than her daughter but still, Catherine just wanted to be superior. She wanted to be The woman of the house. Similar to Walter Lee Younger's situation from A Raisin in the Sun, he wanted to be the man of the house yet his mother, “Mama,” was in reality in charge of the house.