Summary using Metacognition-The Boleyn Inheritance

The Boleyn Inheritance was a historical fiction by Philippa Gregory. It described the life of Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Rochford, three noble women from the 16^th century Europe who share the same fate—the Boleyn inheritance.

Katherine Howard

In this book, the first character that caught my attention is Katherine Howard, for she is such a bright yet stupid, precocious yet naïve child. I can almost picture her appearance and every acts of the young girl. That is because Katherine, who lived and died centuries ago, had many similar traits if compare to some modern girls—beautiful, playful, energetic, and passionate in love. While reading, I seek many likeness of this character to girls in real life, including myself. Katherine Howard would dress in her most gorgeous gown, perhaps in demure yellow or bright pink in the latest fashion, because all girls like to dress up and be the most pretty. She would act like a grown-up woman near the king and in front of the court—just like what we do when facing adults. In balls and masque, Katherine would dressed and danced in explicit ways, showing all her charm and glam to the young men, almost like what girls do to gain attention in a modern party. Then, when Katherine returned to her privy chamber, she would start to play pillow fights and tease with the girls, like what we do with our friends. Katherine was a vain, childish kid. To gain luxury; she made great sacrifices of becoming a puppet of a dangerous politic game and marrying a man that could almost be her grandfather. However, a young and lustful heart could not stand the void of love and desires. With the “help” of Jane Rochford, she ended up dating her beloved man and lost her life for it for her love cannot be allowed under Henry VIII’s reign. Until her end, Katherine was a helpless pawn. In the plan of her powerful uncle and her smart lady-in-waiting, she was no more than a cheap item traded for power and fortune, a tool for childbirth, or a toy thrown away after being played. The story of Katherine revealed the darkness of the English court back in the Tudor period; it also reminded me that there are plenty “Katherine Howard” in our modern world still.

Lady Jane Parker
(Later Jane Rochford)

Jane Rochford was the character I had the most questions on. The most important of all is that I didn’t expected, until the very end that Lady Jane was such a mad lover with a distorted soul. I didn’t see that her heart was filling up with jealousy, lust and greed for the Boleyn inheritance—a title and a fortune. I did not understand her acts until her death, for I always considered her a levelheaded, calm and sophisticated woman that know the court very well. In her insanity of loving her but not being loved, she gave away her sister-in-law, her husband she loved deeply, as well as all her future happiness that could be earned with an earnest attitude like the one of Anne of Cleves. After she committed such hurtful mistakes and injured her own heart deeply, Lady Jane did not draw back her ambitions for the power and wealth; instead, she continued to serve the sly, smooth Duke of Norfolk. With her sharp wit, she slowly led the ignorant Katherine Howard onto the path of death, only she didn’t expected herself to die with her puppet. In fact, Lady Jane herself had become a pawn of Katherine’s powerful uncle. Later, as being revealed by the Duke that to him, Jane Rochford was no more than a piece of filth, a byword of injustice, evilness, distorted lust and jealousy throughout the courts of Europe. In her last moment, Lady Jane learned that no one would want her; no one would marry a widow who cause her own husband’s death, despise how much she love him. After all, Jane Rochford was only a tragic woman who yearned for happiness and love.

Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves was my favorite character among the three. After the reading, I realized that she was not only fortunate, yet unhappy woman like I used to interpret when reading history. Through this historical fiction, I see that it is not luck that spared Anne of Cleves from the scaffold; it is the good qualities she obtained as a woman, a wife and the Queen of England. When bullied by her brother at Cleves, she tolerated the abuses with her dignity and strong mind instead of cry and surrender. When she went to England and married the king that can almost be her father, she decided to learn the English ways, help the king rule and make the people happy. Queen Anne made friend with her stepdaughter, the reserved Princess Mary with her wit; she took care of Elizabeth and Edward like they’re her children. From those events, I can see that Anne was a sympathetic woman and a gentle mother besides having a strong, free heart. Knowing that the king was a tyrant and do not like her, she still did her best for him. When Katherine took Anne’s throne, she didn’t hate the king or the new queen, instead, she worried about the young, silly girl. At last, being named the King’s Beloved Sister, she appreciated everything the king and England gave her. Finally, the king died, and she survived, freedom is the fruit of her good quality and works. Like what Anne’s beloved father used to called her, she was a gyrfalcon, soaring on the high, blue sky, with no restrictions from the world below.

After closing up the last page of the book, I have new understandings of the three main characters. I felt sorry for Katherine Howard, I pitied Jane Rochford, but I admired Anne of Cleves, not for she survived Henry VIII’s tyranny, but because she was always a strong yet gentle woman with a kind, free soul.