From the outset of this novel we are introduced to a young shy girl by the name of Griet. Griet is a young girl growing up in the city of Delft in the 17th century Holland with her parents and younger sister, Angus. Griet was believed to be situated near the Rotterdam Gate in Delft. A wealthy couple Jan and Catharina Vermeer approach Greit once in the novel. Griet who at the start of the novel is a quiet and mature but at the same time is an innocent human being. With the transfer of homes to start a new job to keep the money coming in for her money-starved family to the Vermeer's located in Papists Corner, Griet slowly becomes more strong and less vulnerable as well as learn a few lesions along the way. Griet is confronted by the Vermeer children practically as soon as she walks into her new job. Although most of the children are cooperating one of the children, Caterina, proves not only to be a handful for Griet, but also provides an opportunity for her to build a stronger character within herself. .
Griet also meets Pieter the son. The son to the Vermeer's family butcher Pieter.Griet is here at her most strongest on the outside, but is very vulnerable to herself in giving herself in to Pieter in the later stages in the novel. Griet never believed in seeing herself giving herself up to a man as it looked Prostitute like, a reason why she would always keep her hat on at all times out in public. But when one of the Vermeer's buyers, Van Ruijven starts to express himself towards Griet in a sexual matter, and the feelings Griet has for her "boss" Jan Vermeer, we can see why Griet decides to be wit Pieter the son. Only the fact that she stills wants to keep her family with a small amount of money still rolling in, the fact that Pieter pressured Greit to be with him but didn't really "push" himself or herself to be with each other straight away. If Griet had of decided to try and peruse a relationship with Vermeer (which was very highly unlikely in the first place), she would have had to put herself through all the pain of putting up with all the guilt or stealing a husband form a wife.