XVII: The First Bulb explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Love and Devotion

  Cornelius and Rosa's tender teaching sessions and mutual care highlight their growing love and devotion.

• Obsession and Ambition

  Cornelius's intense focus on the tulip bulb and his despair at its destruction illustrate his obsessive passion for horticulture.

• Jealousy and Revenge

  Boxtel's spying and Gryphus's destructive act are driven by jealousy and a desire to thwart Cornelius.

Characters to notice

• Cornelius van Baerle

  Teaches Rosa to read, expresses joy over the tulip's first sprouting, and is devastated when Gryphus destroys one bulb.

• Rosa Gryphus

  Learns to read from Cornelius, reports Jacob Gisels's suspicious behavior, and comforts Cornelius after the bulb is destroyed.

• Gryphus

  Destroys one of Cornelius's tulip bulbs in anger, accusing Cornelius of witchcraft or conspiracy.

• Isaac Boxtel

  Appears under the alias Jacob Gisels, spying on Rosa and Cornelius, and is suspected of being in love with Rosa.

Key passages

• “This small germ has caused me a much greater emotion than the order of his Highness which turned aside the sword already raised at the Buytenhof.”

  The tiny sprout of the tulip bulb brings Cornelius more joy than the pardon that saved his life.

  Highlights Cornelius's deep passion for tulip cultivation over his own survival.

• “We shall plant the other tomorrow, my dear Mynheer Cornelius.”

  Rosa comforts Cornelius by promising to plant the remaining bulb the next day.

  Shows Rosa's empathy and her role as a source of solace for Cornelius.