CHARACTER MONOLOUGE - PEASANTMy name is Gwendolyn, and I am a peasant who lives in the land of Nottingham. I live with my husband Bartholomew, my eldest child Adela, my eldest son Aldous, and my youngest child, Albin in a tiny shack made of flint, straw, wood and cement. It has two small bedrooms and some space for our cooking and eating.My life is hard. Bartholomew and I are up at dawn every morning. He rushes of to work at the farm, and stays there all day, sometimes even during the night. We have to plant and harvest at least one good crop each year or we will starve during the winter. Aldous is learning to work on the farm with Bartholomew. I stay at home and tend to the vegetable garden, wash, prepare food and bake bre ...view middle of the document...
Our vegetables are made into soup, that way the little food we have can go further. Really lucky peasants get pork and bacon as well, but nothing like the rabbit and mutton and turkey that the king has.Life for all peasants is extremely difficult. For many, the hardest part is thinking about the king and how much he has. He doesn't understand what it's like for us, nor does he care. I expect he calls us names - disgusting peasant, filthy peasant, lowly peasant. He has six course meals of every mouth-watering meat thinkable and honey and wine. Some days, my family doesn't eat. We live in a small shack, dirt and hay as our floor. He has paved floors and decorative tiles and glass in his windows. He has curtains and colours and many rooms. He wears colourful silk and velvet with embroidery. Still, he lies about in his castle, fat and lazy, stealing the little food and money we have. He has many servants that ensure he doesn't lift a finger. We work in the sweltering heat all day and sometimes during the night. I think to myself every single day, that we would leave if we had anywhere to go.In our very little spare time, peasants like to dance and sing and perform plays. We love music and drama. Also, Bartholomew sometimes teaches Adela some basic things that boys would learn at school. Girls aren't allowed to go to school - not even princesses. Peasant boys don't go to school either - no one will teach lowly peasants. Peasants are below everyone. Because of this, Albin likes to listen sometimes too. Aldous doesn't like learning much, except about farming.As you can see, our life is very harsh. We have very little, and yet we are forced to give up much of it to the king. I'd love to see him survive one day as a peasant.