Ideas about ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring demonstrates how poverty limits a person’s options in life’

INTRO:
Girl With a Pearl Earring does demonstrate the limitations of poverty on a person’s life, however it also demonstrates that money is not the only factor that can limit their choices. Girl With a Pearl Earring also establishes that the wealthy may also have some limitations in life. While Griet is limited by her family’s lack of money, her role as a woman in society, her low socials status as a maid and her own expectations, our wealthy protagonist Vermeer also has limited choice about his art making, his need to support such a large family and his debts.

Griet is limited by her family’s lack of money
Griet is a young woman confined by her family loyalty, her low social status and family’s new descent into poverty. As her father has just lost his job, the family now lacks the income to put food on the table. This new level of poverty for Griet’s family forces her to have to take a job as a maid to the Vermeer’s because “we need the money”. There is no ot...