The Devil and Miss Prym
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| Author | Paulo Coelho |
|---|---|
| Original title | O Demônio e a srta Prym |
| Country | Brazil |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | |
| Released | 2000 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) |
| Pages | 224 pp (Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-007-11605-5 |
The Devil and Miss Prym is a novel by Paulo Coelho.
The book tries to find an answer to a question that arises in the human mind at times of distress, rejection or betrayal. Put simply, the question is "Are people bad?".
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
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Please see the discussion on the talk page. |
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The climax comes when every one of the villagers have a rifle pointed towards the old, unconscious Bertha. There is a twist ending.
[edit] Characters
[edit] The Devil or The Stranger
A wealthy, affectionate father, lost his family (wife and daughters) due to a terrorist-business transaction gone wrong. He would like to understand what happened to his family in the hands of the terrorist. He would like to know what was going on in the minds of the terrorists -did they feel pity and thought of letting the hostages go since their war had nothing to do with his family. He arrived in Vizcos (a small peaceful village) by chance just like how the terrorist took his family as hostage. In that place he buried his gold and sought the answer to his question, "When good and evil are pitted together, there is a fraction of a second when good might prevail."
[edit] Miss Prym
Young Miss Prym and Old (Widow) Bertha are the interesting characters he meets in the village. He tries to use Miss Prym as an instrument to provoke the villagers to commit a murder and so prove "People are bad". He decides to leave the gold bars with the villagers if he finds an answer to the question. Miss Prym the angel, resists the devil and fights against him to save the villagers from committing a murder.
[edit] Old Bertha
Old Bertha was widowed years ago due to her husband's freak hunting accident. Although her husband died long ago, she is always in the company of his presence. He taught her to understand the language of nature - to take signs.
She sits on her porch everyday and was rumoured to be a witch. The villagers plans to sacrifice her life in exchange of the stranger's gold bars. The Mayor in exchange of her sacrifice promised to put up a fountain for the old lady.
[edit] Major themes
The book is deep in meaning; It teaches one to believe in nature but also makes one responsible for actions happening around them. It makes one realise, most of what is already known, but never realised. The book has become a big hit in the international market[citation needed].
