World Without End

“The idea of being a nun horrified Caris. She would have to obey someone else’s orders every hour of the day. It would be like remaining a child all your life, and having Petranilla for a mother. Being the wife of a knight, or of anyone else, seemed almost as bad, for women had to obey their husbands. Helping Papa, then perhaps taking over the business when he was too old, was the least unattractive option, but on the other hand, it was not exactly her dream. ‘I don’t want to be any of those,’ she said.”

As a girl, Caris confronts the constraints placed on girls and women and realizes she doesn’t like any of the options available to her. This moment is a key one that sets her on the path to leading an unorthodox life and that also foreshadows her struggle to accept women’s limited power over their own lives.

“‘God will provide.’ This infuriating platitude was always Anthony’s answer.”

Anthony’s attitude shows that he lacks the political acumen to use the power of the church to improve the lives of those around him. At its worst, this passive and profoundly conservative attitude makes him resistant to changes the town and church need to prepare for a fast-moving world. His failure to lead ultimately paves the way for more assertive leaders, such as Godwyn, to take over.

“Priests and monks study the works of the ancient philosophers. They know more than we do.”

Edmund’s response to Caris’s questioning of the monks’ medical treatment of her mother reflects one of the reasons ordinary people respect the decisions of the monks—a deference to authority of both the church and the old texts upon which the monks rely for knowledge. Caris’s early propensity to question authority and accepted wisdom is apparent here, making this passage an early indication of her coming conflict with the church’s authority.