The times were different and it was a man's world but it's a myth that all women were meek and obedient in those days. Or that every man was domineering and refused to let his wife or daughters have a mind of their own. Catharina is naturally a dominant personality type (or tries to be) while Vermeer is an anything-for-a-quiet-life type. It's true that if Vermeer had wanted to treat her badly there would have been very little she could do about it but that doesn't mean that that was how it was in every single marriage. It comes down to individuals in the end. You only have to read any of Shakespeare's plays to see examples of strong, feisty, opinionated women. Catharina also exists in a materialistic world where to be considered 'somebody' you had to keep up with friends and neighbours in terms of material possessions and servants, in the book Catharina finds it really embarrassing that she can only afford two servants. Also, for Vermeer to keep his patrons he needs to be able to match them socially and that means presenting an image of wealth and prosperity. The problem is that Vermeer doesn't produce enough paintings to make any real money and his wife wants him to paint faster - in her mind she thinks it's that simple and can't understand why he doesn't just do it.
reply
share