The Pearl · Chapter
Chapter VI explained
The Dreamer protests the Maiden's warning that he cannot cross the river, questioning God's justice and his own fate.
What happens
The Dreamer protests the Maiden's warning that he cannot cross the river, questioning God's justice and his own fate. The Maiden rebukes his pride and lack of faith, urging him to submit to God's will and seek His mercy rather than complain.
Themes in this chapter
Human Limitation and Submission
The Maiden instructs the Dreamer to accept his human limitations and submit to God's judgment, rather than questioning it.
Divine Grace and Mercy
The Maiden reassures that God's mercy can heal anguish if the Dreamer seeks it with humility.
Characters to notice
- The Dreamer
Protests his fate and questions God's justice, showing pride and lack of submission.
- The Pearl Maiden
Rebukes the Dreamer's pride, urging him to accept God's will and seek mercy.
Key passages
“The jeweler merits little praise, Who loves but what he sees with eye, And it were a discourteous phrase To say our Lord would make a lie, Who surely pledged thy soul to raise, Though fate should cause thy flesh to die.”
A jeweler who only values what he can see is not praiseworthy, and it is rude to accuse God of lying, since He has promised to raise your soul even if your body dies.
The Maiden criticizes the Dreamer's reliance on visible things and his doubt in God's promises.
“Thou dost twist His words in crooked ways Believing only what is nigh; This is but pride and bigotry, That a good man may ill assume, To hold no matter trustworthy Till like a judge he hear and doom.”
You distort God's words by believing only what is near, and this is pride and prejudice, for a good man should not assume something is untrustworthy unless he has judged it like a judge.
The Maiden accuses the Dreamer of pride and narrow-mindedness in his interpretation of God's words.
“Whate’er thy doom, dost thou complain As man should speak to God most high? Thou wouldst gladly dwell in this domain; ‘T were best, methinks, for leave to apply.”
Do you complain about your fate as if you could speak to God that way? You would like to stay here, but it would be better to ask for permission.
The Maiden questions the Dreamer's audacity in complaining to God and suggests he should humbly request to stay.
“No doom save pain and soul’s distress? She answered: “Wherefore thinkst thou so? For pain of parting with the less, Man often lets the greater go.”
Is there no fate except pain and distress? She replied: Why do you think that? Because people often lose something greater by clinging to something lesser.
The Maiden corrects the Dreamer's despairing view, pointing out that his attachment to the lesser (the pearl) may cause him to lose the greater (heaven).
“Let God doom as He doth ordain; He will not turn one foot aside; Thy good deeds mount up but in vain, Thou must in sorrow ever bide; Stint of thy strife, cease to complain, Seek His compassion safe and wide, Thy prayer His pity may obtain, Till Mercy all her might have tried.”
Let God judge as He has ordained; He will not change His course. Your good deeds are useless if you remain in sorrow; stop struggling and complaining, seek His compassion, and your prayer may obtain His pity until Mercy has done all she can.
The Maiden advises the Dreamer to cease his complaints and seek God's mercy, which can alleviate his anguish.