The Devil and Miss Prym is a novel by Paulo Coelho that explores the theme of good and evil

through the story of a stranger who arrives in a small village and offers a deal to the villagers.
Setting:

The novel is set in Viscos, a remote village in France with only 281 inhabitants.

Characters:
The main characters are Chantal Prym, a young woman who works as a bartender and dreams
of leaving the village; Berta, an old woman who can communicate with the dead and see the
devil; and the stranger aka Carlos, a man who carries a backpack with eleven gold bars and a
notebook.
Characterization:

Paulo Coelho uses the characters in the novel to explore various facets of human nature,
particularly the duality of good and evil. Miss Prym represents the innate goodness in people,
while the Stranger embodies the darker, more sinister aspects of human behavior. Other
characters showcase the complexities of human morality and the choices they make when
faced with a moral dilemma.

Point of View:
The novel is primarily written in the third person omniscient point of view, which allows the
narrator to provide insight into the thoughts and emotions of multiple characters. This
narrative style enables readers to gain a deeper understanding of the characters and their
motivations.

Plot:

The novel revolves around a moral dilemma that the inhabitants of the village face when a
stranger arrives and presents them with an opportunity to commit a heinous act. The stranger
challenges the villagers to commit a murder or kill one of their own within a week in exchange
for the 11 gold bars. The plot explores the moral and ethical choices each character makes
and the consequences of those choices.
Themes:
1. Good vs. Evil: The novel delves into the eternal struggle between good and evil within
human nature. It asks whether people are inherently good or capable of committing evil acts
under certain circumstances.

2. Choice and Consequence: The novel explores the idea that every choice we make has
consequences and that our decisions define us. It examines the moral dilemmas faced by the
characters and the impact of their choices on their lives and the village.
"The Devil and Miss Prym" is a thought-provoking novel that raises philosophical questions
about human nature, morality, and the choices we make when confronted with difficult
decisions. It's a story that encourages readers to reflect on their own values and beliefs.

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The Devil and Miss Prym is a novel by Paulo Coelho that explores the theme of good and evil
through the story of a stranger who arrives in a small village and offers a deal to the villagers.
The novel is part of the On the Seventh Day trilogy, which also includes By the River Piedra I
Sat Down and Wept and Veronika Decides to Die.
The novel is set in Viscos, a remote village in France with only 281 inhabitants. The main
characters are Chantal Prym, a young woman who works as a bartender and dreams of leaving
the village; Berta, an old woman who can communicate with the dead and see the devil; and
the stranger aka Carlos, a man who carries a backpack with eleven gold bars and a notebook.
The stranger is looking for an answer to his question: are human beings inherently good or
evil? He decides to test the villagers by proposing them a challenge: he will give them the gold
if they agree to kill one of their own within a week. He chooses Chantal as his messenger and
confidant, and tells her where he buried the gold in the woods. He also tells her that his family
was murdered by some criminals, and that he wants to know if people are capable of choosing
good over evil.
The novel follows the moral dilemma that Chantal and the villagers face as they consider the
stranger's offer. Chantal is tempted by the gold, but also feels guilty and afraid of betraying
her neighbors. She tries to convince the villagers to reject the offer, but they are swayed by
their greed, fear, and desperation. They rationalize their decision by choosing Berta as their
victim, since she is old and has no relatives. They plan to drug her and shoot her in the woods,
pretending that it was an accident. However, Chantal intervenes at the last moment and
reveals the stranger's plot to them. She urges them to choose life over death, and to value
their community over money. The villagers are ashamed of their actions and decide to go back
to their homes without taking the gold.

The stranger admits that he was wrong about his question, and that human beings are neither
good nor evil, but simply human. He leaves the village without taking his gold or his notebook,
which contains his personal reflections on his quest. Chantal decides to stay in Viscos and
start a new life with her boyfriend Ahab, who is one of the few villagers who did not agree to
kill Berta. Berta survives the ordeal and continues to talk to her dead husband and see the
devil. The novel ends with a quote from Albert Einstein: "The world is not dangerous because
of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything."