Historical background
Girl with a Pearl Earring does not demand detailed historical knowledge – Chevalier has constructed the narration so that we can understand the human relationships involved in their own terms. We know that Griet comes from a poor family and so has to take any job that is offered, and that the Vermeers have money and so can employ her on their own terms. It works as a 'modern' novel, even if the reader has only the...