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The Pillars of the Earth
- 597 statements
- 117 feature instances
- 56 referencing feature instances
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The Pillars of the Earth | |
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The Pillars of the Earth | comment |
An epic novel, published in 1989 and set in 12th century England, The Pillars of the Earth is the chronicle of a man, his family, their enemies and the extraordinary dream that consumes them all. It is by far the most popular story that Ken Follett, mainly an author of thrillers and various spy novels, has ever written.Tom Builder is a poor stonemason who dreams of building something that will be his legacy and which will sustain his family for the rest of their lives. Philip, the Prior of Kingsbridge, fights to build a cathedral there, against the wishes of his Bishop, his Lord and all manner of political enemies.The Gothic Cathedral at Kingsbridge, it turns out, becomes more important than anyone imagines. Woven throughout this deeply personal drama are the civil wars between King Stephen and Queen Maud, and later the machinations of King Henry II and the priest Thomas Becket.He followed it up with two sequels and one prequel many years later: World Without End, which picks up with the characters' descendants in the same village in 1327, A Column Of Fire, beginning in 1558, and The Evening And The Morning, set in the tenth century. Also adapted, along with World Without End, into a popular Euro Board Game, and a Video Game developed by Daedalic Entertainment and were released in 3 parts.A miniseries starring Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Matthew Macfadyen, David Oakes, Sam Claflin, Eddie Redmayne as Jack and Hayley Atwell as Aliena ran on the Starz network in July and August 2010. | |
The Pillars of the Earth | fetched |
2023-09-05T00:14:42Z | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_1186fcb5 | type |
Supernatural Gold Eyes | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1186fcb5 | comment |
Supernatural Gold Eyes: Ellen, who may or may not be a witch. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1186fcb5 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_1186fcb5 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1235f055 | type |
Dirty Coward | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1235f055 | comment |
Dirty Coward: Alfred Builder, who torments Jack mercilessly since childhood, then comes crawling back for a job, only to use it to backstab Jack. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1235f055 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_1235f055 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_12dd1d4c | type |
Rape as Drama | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_12dd1d4c | comment |
Rape as Drama: Happens to almost every woman in William's path. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_12dd1d4c | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_130436b9 | type |
Annoying Younger Sibling | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_130436b9 | comment |
Annoying Younger Sibling: Richard has the tendency to be a ball and chain to his big sis Aliena. He gets better as he gets older. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_130436b9 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_148efc99 | type |
Noble Tongue | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_148efc99 | comment |
Noble Tongue: Norman French is often spoken by members of the nobility and clergy in England; at one point, when a senior clergyman speaks Norman French with an odd intonation, someone else realizes that he's a non-native speaker and one of the relative handful of English-speaking clergy to have risen through the ranks of the Norman-dominated church. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_148efc99 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1aa30797 | type |
Single Woman Seeks Good Man | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1aa30797 | comment |
Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Essentially what drew Ellen to Jacques, and eventually to Tom Builder. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_1aa30797 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1b06aa41 | type |
Villains Never Lie | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1b06aa41 | comment |
Villains Never Lie: Generally Waleran can't be trusted, and the only thing that can be is his promise to make sure the Kingsbridge Cathedral is never built. By the end of the book, Prior Jonathan and a reluctant Jack believe that he has truly been broken by the Beckett scandal and thus can be trusted to live at the monastery as a humble monk. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_1b06aa41 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1badfbbb | type |
The Heavy | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1badfbbb | comment |
The Heavy: Waleran Bigod's position and intellect technically make him the Big Bad, but it is William who remains the most immediate threat to the people of Kingsbridge. While Waleran schemes from the shadows, William is the one who is always active on the scene. His actions are what effectively drive the story. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_1badfbbb | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1d18887f | type |
Pay Evil unto Evil | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1d18887f | comment |
Pay Evil unto Evil: this is William Hamleigh's rationalization for most of his violent acts, although the audience would not be expected to agree, whether he is seizing a man's castle (and later raping his daughter) because the latter dishonored his family by spurning his marriage proposal; burning a neighboring town because it infringed on his economic rights as lord; or raping and killing his own serfs for failing to pay their debts to him. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_1d18887f | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1edfa2c7 | type |
Royals Who Actually Do Something | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_1edfa2c7 | comment |
Royals Who Actually Do Something: Both King Stephen and Prince Henry (the future Henry II) lead men in battle. See also Warrior Prince. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_1edfa2c7 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_216ff5ed | type |
Moses in the Bulrushes | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_216ff5ed | comment |
Moses in the Bulrushes: Tom Builder's son, Jonathan. He was abandoned as a newborn and left to die. He was found by monks and raised as Philip's son. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_25b7257f | type |
Red Right Hand | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_25b7257f | comment |
Red Right Hand: Lady Regan has boils covering her face. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_25b7257f | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_297ab1b9 | type |
Parental Abandonment | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_297ab1b9 | comment |
Parental Abandonment: Played heavily throughout the book. Tom abandoning his baby son so he could provide for his other two kids instead just shows how hard people had it during these times. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_297ab1b9 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_297ab1b9 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2a8a7ea6 | type |
Bury Your Gays | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2a8a7ea6 | comment |
Bury Your Gays: The effeminate Matthew is killed by William quite early in the story. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_2a8a7ea6 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2af6bbeb | type |
Break the Haughty | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2af6bbeb | comment |
Break the Haughty: From the perspective of contemporary medieval characters, young Aliena is a spoiled brat who reacts rudely to William's awkward attempts at wooing her. She suffers very, very horribly for it. Waleran shrugs off most of the defeats tossed at him, but losing political favor by suggesting Beckett's assassination finally does him in, as least as far as Jonathan and Jack can see. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_2af6bbeb | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2b14367f | type |
Bring My Brown Pants | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2b14367f | comment |
Bring My Brown Pants: William wets himself on the way to the gallows. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_2b14367f | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2b49eaf | type |
Damsel out of Distress | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2b49eaf | comment |
Damsel out of Distress: Aliena is often in danger, but she's still quite intelligent and resourceful. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_2b49eaf | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2d768e2d | type |
Succession Crisis | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2d768e2d | comment |
Succession Crisis: Truth in Television as this is set against the political backdrop of The Anarchy. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_2d768e2d | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_2d768e2d | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2eedb330 | type |
Murderers Are Rapists | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2eedb330 | comment |
Murderers Are Rapists: William. He was a murderer, many times over. He also raped Aliena and many other women and girls. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_2eedb330 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2fa6b075 | type |
God Save Us from the Queen! | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2fa6b075 | comment |
God Save Us from the Queen!: The main reason Maud does not succeed Henry I despite previously being named Henry's heir. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2fa6b075 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2fa6b075 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2fd7200b | type |
Dead Guy Junior | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_2fd7200b | comment |
Dead Guy Junior: Tommy, the son of Jack and Aliena. Named after the deceased Tom Builder, whom William killed and had tormented in life. Fittingly, after he becomes the new earl, he dispatches William for killing Bishop Beckett on charges of sacrilege and sentences him to the gallows. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_2fd7200b | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_34dcfc96 | type |
Kick the Dog | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_34dcfc96 | comment |
Kick the Dog: William does everything except kicking an actual dog to remind you that yes, he is the villain. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_34dcfc96 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_34dcfc96 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_37d94ed9 | type |
Agony of the Feet | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_37d94ed9 | comment |
Agony of the Feet: William tortures an enemy knight into confessing treason by hanging him from a tree limb and setting a fire under his bare feet. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_37d94ed9 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_37d94ed9 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_437820dc | type |
Villainous Crush | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_437820dc | comment |
Villainous Crush: William has a very creepy obsession with Aliena. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_437820dc | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_44fc28e8 | type |
Honor Before Reason | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_44fc28e8 | comment |
Honor Before Reason: Aliena's father in the novel, much to Aliena's dismay. In the book, she resents her father for making her swear to restore the family's lordship. Averted in the miniseries, where she's the one with the idea. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_44fc28e8 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_4604fd4d | type |
Worthy Opponent | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_4604fd4d | comment |
Worthy Opponent: Minor example, but Richard and Robert of Gloucester have a degree of respect for each other. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_4604fd4d | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_479d4e5a | type |
Would Hurt a Child | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_479d4e5a | comment |
Would Hurt a Child: While on a punitive visit to one of his villages William discovers a young couple who have married without paying a fine en lieu of submitting to Droit du Seigneur, and decides he wants to rape the woman. To distract her father from interfering William grabs her newborn baby by the ankles and hurls it in the air as high as he can, attacking the woman as her father scrambles to catch his grandchild. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_479d4e5a | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_47fea76b | type |
Butt-Monkey | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_47fea76b | comment |
Aliena ends up on the horrific side of this several times (see Break the Cutie and Break the Haughty above), but the crowning moment has to be when her brother actually tries to defend her from what modern-day readers would rightfully call Domestic Abuse; Richard killing Alfred is considered murder, since Aliena is Alfred's wife, making her consent a non-issue. A protracted debate ensues, at high legal levels, as to whether Aliena really counted as married at the time. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_47fea76b | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_4b316d47 | type |
Break the Cutie | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_4b316d47 | comment |
Break the Cutie: From a modern perspective, young Aliena is a feisty and fetching noblewoman who wisely rejects the advances of a creep. She suffers very, very horribly for it. Played straight with Elizabeth, quite literally on her wedding night, when William sates his violent lusts on her. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_4b39a18 | type |
Hope Springs Eternal | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_4b39a18 | comment |
Hope Springs Eternal: However the villains try to stop the construction of the cathedral, they fail. Even burning the whole town down doesn't help. There is one point in the story when Philip gives up all hope, but it only lasts until Jack returns from France and decides to build the cathedral in Gothic style. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_4b39a18 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_4ef92d0b | type |
The Atoner | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_4ef92d0b | comment |
The Atoner: Brother Johnny, a former outlaw who became a monk after rescuing Jonathan when he was a baby. Later Brother Remigius repents from his bad deeds throughout the story and accepts the role of a humble monk with no special authority. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_4ef92d0b | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5313c266 | type |
Bookends | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5313c266 | comment |
Book Ends: The executions in the first scene and the last. The scenes even have the same opening sentence. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_5313c266 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5539b84f | type |
Corrupt Church | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5539b84f | comment |
Corrupt Church: Played straight with Ministers like Waleran who are raised to the top of the hierarchy; averted with Philip, Jonathan and other monks who strive to be Good Shepherd and dislike corrupt ministers. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_5539b84f | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_55940b68 | type |
Doorstopper | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_55940b68 | comment |
Doorstopper: 973 pages. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_55940b68 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_590eb583 | type |
Domestic Abuse | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_590eb583 | comment |
Domestic Abuse: Alfred beats Aliena because he is impotent. And then there's William's brutal treatment of any female he's even mildly attracted to... | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_590eb583 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_590eb583 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5aa60027 | type |
Tell Me About My Father | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5aa60027 | comment |
Tell Me About My Father: One sideplot revolves around Jack wanting to know who his father was, who killed him, and why. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_5aa60027 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5beef860 | type |
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5beef860 | comment |
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: For all that he fails to act like it most of the time, the very mention of Hell is usually enough to make William shake with fear. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_5beef860 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5ee2f7cc | type |
My Secret Pregnancy | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5ee2f7cc | comment |
My Secret Pregnancy: Aliena hides her pregnancy until the day of birth. Not surprising since she never had sex with her husband. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_5ee2f7cc | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5fcb9ad1 | type |
Time Skip | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_5fcb9ad1 | comment |
Time Skip: Happens between every part. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_5fcb9ad1 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_60547993 | type |
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_60547993 | comment |
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: When Jack works in Toledo, his employer's daughter Aisa falls in love with him, and her father also wants to marry her to Jack. After he leaves, Aliena arrives, and Aisa is the only one who is nice with her and tells her to go after him because she realized that Aliena loves him. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_60547993 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_61996785 | type |
Sacrificial Lamb | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_61996785 | comment |
Sacrificial Lamb: In-universe example in the story Jack tells Aliena (see the Author Avatar entry above) — the story initially focuses on the traditional brave, strong, virtuous knight, but he is abruptly killed off very early in the story, revealing the squire as its actual protagonist. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_61996785 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_643618e5 | type |
Replacement Goldfish | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_643618e5 | comment |
Replacement Goldfish: Aliena is freaked out noticing how William's young wife Elizabeth looks like her. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_643618e5 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_65acf9db | type |
He Knows Too Much | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_65acf9db | comment |
He Knows Too Much: The reason Jack's father was hanged. Jacques was the only survivor of the White Ship disaster, which claimed the life of Prince William, the heir to Henry I of England. The conspirators behind the ship's destruction had him imprisoned. At first they were going to leave him there, but after he began to get a grasp of English they realized they had to have him killed, so they framed him for theft and hanged him. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_65acf9db | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_65acf9db | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_65acf9db | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_66755d29 | type |
Author Avatar | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_66755d29 | comment |
Author Avatar: In-universe example — Jack makes up an epic story to tell his love interest, Aliena. The story's protagonist is a young squire who is not strong in battle but is courageous and determined all the same, using cunning or luck to barely escape from dangerous situations, and is madly in love with the beautiful princess. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_66755d29 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_66755d29 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_66755d29 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_69681e01 | type |
Big Brother Instinct | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_69681e01 | comment |
Big Brother Instinct: Richard is younger than Aliena by a few years, but will unfailingly step forward to defend his sister from physical harm (even if it ends up with him being beaten or mutilated). Aliena recognizes that, for all his faults, Richard has always been exceptionally brave and has always attempted to protect her from physical threats. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_69681e01 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_69681e01 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_69681e01 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_6a4f3cf7 | type |
Took a Level in Dumbass | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_6a4f3cf7 | comment |
Took a Level in Dumbass: Don't expect Richard to be competent at anything that doesn't involve hitting someone with a sharpened stick. He's better off fighting and dying in the Crusades than being Earl of Shiring. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_6a4f3cf7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_6a4f3cf7 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_6a4f3cf7 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_74ef476c | type |
Kneel Before Zod | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_74ef476c | comment |
Once the Hamleighs have captured Aliena's castle her stiff-necked father refuses to kneel in submission, so Lady Regan orders that Aliena's ears be cut off if he does not submit. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_74ef476c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_74ef476c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_74ef476c | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_754df088 | type |
Put on a Bus | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_754df088 | comment |
Put on a Bus: After he joins the Crusade, we hear talking about Richard again only when he dies without heirs. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_754df088 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_754df088 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_754df088 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_76f0d7a5 | type |
Historical Fiction | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_76f0d7a5 | comment |
Historical Fiction/Historical Domain Character: Queen Maud, Kings Henry II and Stephen, and Thomas Becket play significant roles in the book. The Battle of Lincoln is a key plot point. King Henry I appears in the television miniseries. Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, also appears in the book, and Robert, Earl of Gloucester, drives much of the early plot by his actions. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_76f0d7a5 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_76f0d7a5 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_76f0d7a5 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_77ed6b7d | type |
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_77ed6b7d | comment |
Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: Jack burns the orginal Kingsbridge cathedral as a child so Tom will be able to feed the family by working on the building of its replacement. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_77ed6b7d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_77ed6b7d | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_77ed6b7d | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7a0374eb | type |
Impoverished Patrician | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7a0374eb | comment |
Impoverished Patrician: Aliena and her brother Richard. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7a0374eb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7a0374eb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7a0374eb | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7c862b8a | type |
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7c862b8a | comment |
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Waleran Bigod, William Hamleigh, and Bishop Henry all have severe cases of this. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7c862b8a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7c862b8a | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7c862b8a | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e6c0522 | type |
Off with His Head! | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e6c0522 | comment |
Off with His Head!: Robert gets his head taken off cleanly. For Archbishop Beckett, it doesn't happen so cleanly. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e6c0522 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e6c0522 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e6c0522 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e84a642 | type |
Serial Rapist | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e84a642 | comment |
Serial Rapist: William, by far the vilest of the characters of the book, is sexually impotent with willing women, and can only get aroused through sexual brutality, either by beating up prostitutes first or by raping people. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e84a642 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e84a642 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_7e84a642 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_80621707 | type |
Arranged Marriage | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_80621707 | comment |
Arranged Marriage: William and Aliena would have become this (it ended very badly), but it was to be William and Elizabeth twenty years later. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_80621707 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_80621707 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_80621707 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85ca9dab | type |
Second Love | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85ca9dab | comment |
Second Love: Ellen and Tom are this to each other. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85ca9dab | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85ca9dab | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85ca9dab | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85debad9 | type |
Plucky Girl | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85debad9 | comment |
Plucky Girl: Aliena, who goes from spoiled noblewoman to resourceful wool merchant in order to avenge her family. Ellen also counts. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85debad9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85debad9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_85debad9 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_863c780a | type |
Hopeless Suitor | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_863c780a | comment |
Hopeless Suitor: William. Aliena suffers awfully for this. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_863c780a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_863c780a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_863c780a | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8805822f | type |
Naughty Nuns | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8805822f | comment |
Naughty Nuns: Ellen had shades of this when she was a novice, justified by the fact she was forced by her father to join the nunnery and she hadn't any religious vocation. After having met Jack's father, she leaves the monastery with him. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8805822f | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_8805822f | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8805822f | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_88933ad4 | type |
Parental Favoritism | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_88933ad4 | comment |
Parental Favoritism: Tom ignores Alfred's selfishness and sometimes malicious "teasing" towards Martha and Jack. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_88933ad4 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_88933ad4 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_88933ad4 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_890d4ef2 | type |
Humiliation Conga | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_890d4ef2 | comment |
Humiliation Conga: Waleran Bigod is put through this at the end of the book. He ends up a powerless monk. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_890d4ef2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_890d4ef2 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_890d4ef2 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8976acda | type |
Civil War | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8976acda | comment |
Civil War: Takes place during The Anarchy and this provides a number of crucial plot points. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8976acda | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_8976acda | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8976acda | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8b68d9a7 | type |
Stalker with a Crush | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8b68d9a7 | comment |
Stalker with a Crush: After William Hamleigh seizes the Shiring Earldom, he is aware that Aliena, Richard, and their servant Matthew are still living in the castle. He stalks and watches over Aliena with freakish fascination, still obsessed with her even after she disgustedly rejected him twice. As soon as he gets the chance, he rapes her. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8b68d9a7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8b68d9a7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8b68d9a7 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8d0785d5 | type |
Didn't Think This Through | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8d0785d5 | comment |
Didn't Think This Through: King Henry unintentionally sending William as an assassin for Thomas Beckett, a well-loved Archbishop who's remained in good standing with the Catholic Church. The backlash following this leaves Henry at the mercy of the Church and God, and William at the gallows on the charges of sacrilege. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8d0785d5 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_8d0785d5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8d0785d5 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8dd4a996 | type |
Identical Grandson | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8dd4a996 | comment |
Identical Grandson: Jack looks so similar to the father he never knew that he is mistaken for him by several people. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8dd4a996 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8dd4a996 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8dd4a996 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8e20979 | type |
Wham Episode | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8e20979 | comment |
Wham Episode: William and his gang of soldiers attack Kingsbridge, nearly burning it to the ground and killing hundreds, including Tom Builder. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8e20979 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8e20979 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_8e20979 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_90d44f44 | type |
Karmic Death | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_90d44f44 | comment |
Karmic Death: William receives one courtesy of Tommy, Jack and Aliena's son, the new Earl of Shiring. William got Jack's stepfather unemployed twice, killed him in a raid on Kingsbridge, and has been tormenting his family, including Aliena. As the earl, Tommy exercises the right to arrest William on charges of sacrilege after the latter assassinates Thomas Beckett in a church. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_90d44f44 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_90d44f44 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_90d44f44 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_90e31482 | type |
Laser-Guided Karma | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_90e31482 | comment |
Philip is nearly hoist with his own petard as a false accusation of fornication against him gets him put on trial and nearly ruins his career. People think it absurd that such a good man could be ruined by such a frivolous accusation and even one of his enemies, Ellen, speaks up in his defense. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_90e31482 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_90e31482 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_90e31482 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_96144372 | type |
Aristocrats Are Evil | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_96144372 | comment |
Aristocrats Are Evil: William is a depraved, war-mongering monster. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_96144372 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_96144372 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_96144372 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_977ddbc | type |
The Upper Crass | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_977ddbc | comment |
The Upper Crass: William Hamleigh is a noble, yet interested in little other than sex, hunting, and fighting. This is why Aliena rejects William's marriage proposal. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_977ddbc | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_977ddbc | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_977ddbc | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_978a82e6 | type |
Big Bad Duumvirate | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_978a82e6 | comment |
Big Bad Duumvirate: Waleran Bigod and the Hamleighs, particularly William. Their schemes are the main source of problems that the people of Kingsbridge have to contend with. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_978a82e6 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_978a82e6 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_978a82e6 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_99ddfcec | type |
Unwitting Instigator of Doom | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_99ddfcec | comment |
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Philip telling Waleran about Bartholomew of Shiring's plans to overthrow King Stephen, in an attempt to protect the Church and bestow the responsibility on someone higher in Church standing, starts a chain of events that leads to William's father becoming the new earl, William raping Bartholomew's daughter Aliena as revenge for her declining his proposal and insulting him, and Tom the Builder losing his first income in ages as well as his life in good time. Philip seems to realize this, since he buys Aliena's wool when no other merchant will buy from a woman and she needs the money. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_99ddfcec | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_99ddfcec | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_99ddfcec | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9a1d239e | type |
Been There, Shaped History | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9a1d239e | comment |
Been There, Shaped History: William was one of the assassins who killed Thomas Becket, and it was Philip's idea to make a saint of him. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9a1d239e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9a1d239e | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9a1d239e | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9bcd82c0 | type |
Took a Level in Badass | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9bcd82c0 | comment |
Took a Level in Badass: Richard. Goes from being little more than a puppet for Aliena to being a fairly kickass knight. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9bcd82c0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9bcd82c0 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9bcd82c0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9fe35833 | type |
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9fe35833 | comment |
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: William's one good act is to build a church in his mother's memory, to rescue her soul from Hell, and he's even offended when Waleran takes advantage of it for his own plans. Granted, it's strongly indicated this is more over his fear for his own soul than love for his mother, given he had pretty much no love for her previously and had watched her die. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9fe35833 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_9fe35833 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_9fe35833 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a18fda9c | type |
Dumb Muscle | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a18fda9c | comment |
Dumb Muscle: Richard is a good soldier, but is not really good at anything else. It becomes especially obvious when he becomes the Earl. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a18fda9c | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_a18fda9c | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a18fda9c | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a42f56b0 | type |
Royal "We" | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a42f56b0 | comment |
Royal "We": Queen Maud. "We are betrayed!" | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a42f56b0 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_a42f56b0 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a42f56b0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a5d92fce | type |
Celibate Hero | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a5d92fce | comment |
Celibate Hero: Prior Philip is not sexually deviant in any way. In the novel, he talks about his sexual lusts mercifully fading away over time. Word of God states that Philip was deliberately created to be a "cheerfully celibate" character, as Follett was sick of the outwardly-chaste but inwardly-smouldering-with-lust monk trope. invoked | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a5d92fce | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_a5d92fce | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a5d92fce | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a70223 | type |
Karma Houdini | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a70223 | comment |
Karma Houdini: William spends years getting away with murder, rape, pillaging, and sabotage because Waleran is the only priest who will absolve him. Waleran's role in framing Jack's father doesn't do a thing to his reputation in the Kingsbridge priory, apart from disproving his accusations. He merely walks away when Jack demands answers from him. It takes a political scandal which involves King Henry, William, and Philip to deliver the punishment of humility. As a child, Jack burns the original cathedral to the ground and is never punished. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a70223 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_a70223 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a70223 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a836a9b5 | type |
Character Witness | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a836a9b5 | comment |
Character Witness: Remigius, whose gossiping gets Ellen banished from the village. Later on, after he is disgraced and Philip decides to give him a second chance, he and Ellen save Philip from being accused of fathering Jonathan out of wedlock and confirm Ellen's tale that the previous Prior James and Waleran had condemned an innocent man for political benefit. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a836a9b5 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_a836a9b5 | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a836a9b5 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8a5e4ed | type |
Christianity Is Catholic | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8a5e4ed | comment |
Christianity is Catholic: Justified, not surprisingly, as the Reformation was still centuries away. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8a5e4ed | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8a5e4ed | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8a5e4ed | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8dcb1d7 | type |
Love at First Sight | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8dcb1d7 | comment |
Love at First Sight: Jack towards Aliena; he can't stop thinking about her from their very first meeting, at which time he's twelve and she's seventeen. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8dcb1d7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8dcb1d7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_a8dcb1d7 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_aabe2fb | type |
Deliberate Values Dissonance | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_aabe2fb | comment |
Deliberate Values Dissonance: Deconstructed, as Follet repeatedly illustrates a moral norm alien to modern values and then shows that plenty of contemporaries also rejected those norms and sought ways around them, reminding the audience that past societies are not monocultures. Prior Philip, although a benevolent figure for his community, and more compassionate than most of his peers, still has the views of a 12th-century monk on subjects like extra-marital sex or the respect due to his own authority. Other people think it's absurd that he insists that Aliena and Jack not cohabit due to Aliena being technically married to someone else, even though Aliena and Jack have a child together. When they finally get married Aliena is suprised the village is making such a big deal of it, as the townspeople generally considered Jack and Aliena to be more or less married already. Philip is nearly hoist with his own petard as a false accusation of fornication against him gets him put on trial and nearly ruins his career. People think it absurd that such a good man could be ruined by such a frivolous accusation and even one of his enemies, Ellen, speaks up in his defense. Aliena ends up on the horrific side of this several times (see Break the Cutie and Break the Haughty above), but the crowning moment has to be when her brother actually tries to defend her from what modern-day readers would rightfully call Domestic Abuse; Richard killing Alfred is considered murder, since Aliena is Alfred's wife, making her consent a non-issue. A protracted debate ensues, at high legal levels, as to whether Aliena really counted as married at the time. William indulges in his rights as husband and lord, raping his teenaged wife regularly and doing violence to his serfs when they violate his prerogatives and fail to pay what they owe him. Even his own steward is dismayed by his behavior, even the legally justified parts, and his wife is eventually rescued and returned to her family. When William insists on exercising Droit du Seigneur his steward points out that that isn't even a real thing. William's first attack on the quarry fails because while murdering laypeople is tolerable, murdering the monks present at the quarry would be crossing a Moral Event Horizon in the cultural norms of the time. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_aabe2fb | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_aabe2fb | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_aabe2fb | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b1c8e04e | type |
Marital Rape License | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b1c8e04e | comment |
William indulges in his rights as husband and lord, raping his teenaged wife regularly and doing violence to his serfs when they violate his prerogatives and fail to pay what they owe him. Even his own steward is dismayed by his behavior, even the legally justified parts, and his wife is eventually rescued and returned to her family. When William insists on exercising Droit du Seigneur his steward points out that that isn't even a real thing. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_b1c8e04e | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b39d5719 | type |
Sadist | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b39d5719 | comment |
Sadist: William is sexually impotent unless he is violently assaulting his victims - consent inhibits him. When he is given the order to cut Aliena's ears off in front of her defeated father and his retainers, he discovers the command sexually arouses him. William comes to understand this quality gradually in himself; while he is holding an enemy's feet in a fire to make him confess treason William discovers that torturing a man gives him the same feeling as raping a girl, but later, dissatisfied, he decides that torturing a man without killing him is like stripping a girl without raping her. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_b39d5719 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b5060b63 | type |
The Lad-ette | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b5060b63 | comment |
The Lad-ette: Ellen, raised by a widowed father among his men; she learns all sorts of masculine habits, until her father decides it's time she become more of a lady and sends her to live in a convent. It doesn't work out as he would have hoped. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_b5060b63 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b97c1d0b | type |
Standard Hero Reward | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b97c1d0b | comment |
Standard Hero Reward: William believes that his heroic capture of the treasonous Earl Bartholomew and his castle will be rewarded with the opportunity to rape Aliena and then forcibly marry her. His mother disabuses him of the notion, as Aliena's new social status as the daughter of a traitor renders her unworthy. William is eventually temporarily given Bartholomew's earldom. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_b97c1d0b | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b9f472b | type |
Storming the Castle | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b9f472b | comment |
Storming the Castle: Averted when Aliena wants to attack William in Shiring Castle, but Richard patiently explains that storming a castle never works. They manage to trick their way in instead. The Hamleighs seize Bartholemew's fortress home through a clever infiltration strategy. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_b9f472b | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_b9f472b | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_ba6cf869 | type |
Rape, Pillage, and Burn | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_ba6cf869 | comment |
Deconstructed with William. In the beginning, he is just an idiot who is mocked by almost everyone. However, when he finally snaps, he becomes a nightmare: raping the woman who despised him, burning Kingsbridge to ashes, generally raping and pillaging all over the place because it's fun. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_ba6cf869 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_ba6cf869 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_babc974 | type |
Sadistic Choice | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_babc974 | comment |
Sadistic Choice: Once the Hamleighs have captured Aliena's castle her stiff-necked father refuses to kneel in submission, so Lady Regan orders that Aliena's ears be cut off if he does not submit. William gives Aliena a choice between lying still as he rapes her and watching her brother's ear get cut off. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_babc974 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_babc974 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_bc74ef27 | type |
Berserk Button | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_bc74ef27 | comment |
Berserk Button Don't ever laugh at William. He'll murder you. King Henry II does not like his underlings' cheap talk. Philip does not take kindly to people faking miracles. Anyone physically harming Aliena will send Richard into a mindless rage. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_bc74ef27 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_bd86c157 | type |
The High Middle Ages | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_bd86c157 | comment |
The High Middle Ages: The novel is set in this era. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_bd86c157 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_bd86c157 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_c4240537 | type |
Moral Event Horizon | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_c4240537 | comment |
William's first attack on the quarry fails because while murdering laypeople is tolerable, murdering the monks present at the quarry would be crossing a Moral Event Horizon in the cultural norms of the time. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_c4240537 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_c4240537 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_c67af1b0 | type |
Big Bad Wannabe | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_c67af1b0 | comment |
Big Bad Wannabe: Alfred Builder and Brother Remigius loathe protagonists Jack Jackson and Prior Philip, devoting their entire lives to ruining them. Though they do their part, they're but small pieces in the schemes of the story's true villains, Waleran Bigod and William Hamleigh. Ultimately, their efforts amount to little and they are both dismissed when they are of no further use. Later, Alfred is killed unceremoniously by Richard when the former tries to rape Aliena while Remigius pulls a Heel–Face Turn and later saves Philip from disgrace. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_c67af1b0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_c772e7c5 | type |
Rags to Riches | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_c772e7c5 | comment |
Rags to Riches: Aliena goes from being homeless to one of the wealthiest wool traders in England. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_c772e7c5 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_c772e7c5 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_cb70651c | type |
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_cb70651c | comment |
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Every curse of Ellen's comes true. Scary, isn't it? | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_cb70651c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_cb70651c | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_cb70651c | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_d29a6629 | type |
Death by Childbirth | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_d29a6629 | comment |
Death by Childbirth: Agnes, Tom's first wife, dies after giving birth to Jonathan in the woods. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_d29a6629 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_d29a6629 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_d86210c | type |
Have You Come to Gloat? | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_d86210c | comment |
Have You Come to Gloat?: Remigius asks this to Philip when he finds him begging. Instead of that, Philip invites him back to Kingsbridge. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_d86210c | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_d86210c | featureConfidence |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_d86210c | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_db71d717 | type |
Thanatos Gambit | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_db71d717 | comment |
Thanatos Gambit: Thomas Becket doesn't run from his attackers, but lets himself be killed (in a church no less) to become a martyr. This results in exactly the opposite effect from what the antagonists expected. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_db71d717 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_db71d717 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_dde7da12 | type |
Come to Gawk | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_dde7da12 | comment |
Come to Gawk: Remigius asks this to Philip when he's wandering the streets as a beggar. Philip, being the pious man he is, offers to take him back as a novice instead. This would save him a lot of problems later. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_dde7da12 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_dde7da12 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_df410b77 | type |
Decoy Protagonist | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_df410b77 | comment |
Decoy Protagonist: Tom Builder, who dies about halfway through the book. Swapping protagonists in some fashion was probably unavoidable, since building churches was a generational undertaking, but Tom dies fairly young and suddenly. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_df410b77 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e1311c40 | type |
Romancing the Widow | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e1311c40 | comment |
Romancing the Widow: Ellen was doing this to Tom, although they had met when his wife still lived. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e1311c40 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_e1311c40 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e13156e1 | type |
Mama Bear | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e13156e1 | comment |
Mama Bear: Ellen leaves Tom when he won't do a thing about Alfred bullying Jack, in addition to being forced to stay away for a year. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e13156e1 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_e13156e1 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e192c0a7 | type |
Standard Female Grab Area | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e192c0a7 | comment |
Standard Female Grab Area: Used against Aliena during Alfred's attempted rape. Also attempted by William when he raped Aliena, but it fails there; instead, William threatens her brother to force compliance. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e192c0a7 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_e192c0a7 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e19e68 | type |
Cruel Mercy | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e19e68 | comment |
Cruel Mercy: Jack decides that forgiving Waleran and pitying him is the worst kind of punishment he can bring on the priest for engineering his father's execution. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e19e68 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_e19e68 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e2abcbfd | type |
Turbulent Priest | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e2abcbfd | comment |
Turbulent Priest: Thomas Becket, the Trope Namer himself, of course. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e2abcbfd | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth | hasFeature |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e2abcbfd | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e3109dae | type |
Switching P.O.V. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e3109dae | comment |
Switching P.O.V.: The story is told from the POV of 5 characters. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e3109dae | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_e3109dae | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e4cd6f47 | type |
Wedding Deadline | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e4cd6f47 | comment |
Wedding Deadline: Jack tries to stop the wedding between Aliena and Alfred, but for this, he needs to escape the monastery. He ultimately fails, and while his mother actually goes there and curses the marriage, she doesn't stop it. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e4cd6f47 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_e4cd6f47 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e70127 | type |
The Mole | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e70127 | comment |
The Mole: Remigius is a secret spy to Waleran. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e70127 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_e70127 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e8d46c29 | type |
Backstory | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e8d46c29 | comment |
Backstory: Jack's parentage. Philip's story about how he became a monk. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_e8d46c29 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_e8d46c29 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f1492605 | type |
Redemption Equals Death | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f1492605 | comment |
Redemption Equals Death: Averted. Both Remigius and Waleran end their time with the book as humble monks rather than die. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f1492605 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_f1492605 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f360fc33 | type |
Dumbass Has a Point | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f360fc33 | comment |
Dumbass Has a Point: For such a clod-headed oaf, William is quite cunning on a number of occasions. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f360fc33 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_f360fc33 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f8014b20 | type |
Explicit Content | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f8014b20 | comment |
Explicit Content: Per usual for Follett, the sex scenes are detailed, and lovingly so for the Official Couple. | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_f8014b20 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_f8014b20 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_fb3576b2 | type |
The Dog Bites Back | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_fb3576b2 | comment |
The Dog Bites Back: When William's abused wife helps Richard and his army to infiltrate and take over his castle and depose him as earl. Lampshaded by Waleran in the miniseries, saying, "If you kick a dog, it may someday bite you." | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_fb3576b2 | featureApplicability |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_fb3576b2 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_fbc54605 | type |
Riches to Rags | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_fbc54605 | comment |
Riches to Rags: Happens to Aliena twice. She first goes from pampered noblewoman to being homeless. She then becomes a wealthy wool trader but loses everything in a fire thanks to William, falling from a position of wealth and social prominence to needing financial support (including an Arranged Marriage to Alfred) to survive. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_fbc54605 | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_ffad4e9f | type |
Shown Their Work | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_ffad4e9f | comment |
Shown Their Work: Ken Follett wants you to know all about cathedral architecture. | |
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The Pillars of the Earth / int_ffad4e9f | |
The Pillars of the Earth / int_name | type |
ItemName | |
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The Pillars of the Earth |
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