Analysis Of Philippa Gregory s Three Sisters Three...

Three Sisters, Three Queens, a historical fiction novel written by Philippa Gregory, takes place in 16th century Europe, an era characterized by powerful monarchs whose personal and political life are incredibly complex and intertwined. In particular, this story focuses on three women who will become the queens of Scotland, France, and England, respectively: Margaret, her sister, Mary, and their sister-in-law, Katherine of Aragon. The story is told from Margaret’s point of view, who provides a unique yet often disregarded female perspective of this era intended to demonstrate that these ruling women are just as important to history as their male counterparts, namely Henry VIII and James IV. The novel is centered around two types of†¦show more content†¦It would spoil everything if Mary’s is French cut or more richly embroidered, or more fashionable† (293-294). Her superficial nature and blatant sense of entitlement resulting from her privileged upbringing becomes almost comical, especially as she is so heavily concerned with her possessions even while her country is engulfed in both civil war and war with England. Nevertheless, Margaret still does mature with age, as she and her sisters come to realize that they should be working together rather than separately: â€Å"We spent our time admiring and envying each other and we should have been guiding and protecting each other† (544). Ironically, on that very same page Margaret expresses delight over her sisters’ misfortunes: â€Å"I am in a better place than both my sisters. I cling to this little joy, as stubborn as when we were girls jockeying for supremacy† (544). Margaret’s fickle nature embodies her time period, where many of the monarchs share similar competitive desires and betrayal is commonplace. On an even grander scale, Gregory highlights a natural human flaw and defies the idea of a perfect protagonist. Even though Margaret changes for the bet ter, a little part of her young and selfish self will always remain within her. Margaret is not always a likable character, but she is certainly a relatable one, whose experiences to achieve power and happiness teach her that she should have confidence in herself and her sisters to defy gender norms