Reading minor characters
Minor characters can have major roles in the architecture of a novel. One example in Girl with a Pearl Earring is van Leeuwenhoek, who only appears properly three times, but who has something vital to say on each occasion. The most potent minor character, in my view, is Cornelia. This is not only because she is the principal trouble-maker in the story and so is the mechanism which creates most of the drama, but also...