Idea in The Devil and Miss Prym:

The theme of good vs. evil, moral vs. immoral, or vice vs. virtue is one of Coelho’s favorite themes. The Devil and Miss Prym is also about the forces of good and evil. It is also about the constant battle which resides among these forces. Coelho attempts to draw the complexity of human nature in this novel. The everlasting dilemma, if man is good or evil by nature, has been discussed in the book.

Plot Summary:

The story is set in an isolated small town much like a village, Viscos where the beauty of nature reigns. Amidst this pretty setting, there comes a stranger with pseudo-identity who is a sheer contrast to the nobility of town. He is not an actual devil but has inner demons which make him believe that humans by nature are evil. Thus, he is a metaphorical description of devil. He considers his hypothesis of evil human nature worthy to test.

Therefore he reaches out to the youngest member of town, Chantal Prym. He asks her to tell the villagers that they will receive gold bars. But only if they murder a person in the village. He also tells her that if she would not accept his offer he will tell the villagers himself. Then, they might decide to kill her instead. She has the option of either being a victim or the victimizer.

Moral Conflict in The Devil and Miss Prym:

After certain dilemmas and perplexity, she tells villagers everything with the hope that they will kick the stranger out of the town. However, the so-called stakeholders of the town including the priest and the mayor decide that there is not much harm in it. The priest even comes up with a logical explanation that the salvation of one man has always been known to relieve the sufferings of others. Therefore, there is no harm if they choose a useless member like old sweet Bertha for the sacrifice.

Resolution:

The villagers decide murder day and there is a ceremony to kill Bertha. But, Chantal Prym arrives and after a moving speech and reference to the town’s founder Ahab, she convinces the people to change their decision. Later on, she takes all the gold from the stranger and leaves the town.

Theme in The Devil and Miss Prym:

The essential theme of the novel appears to be the victory of virtue in the face of evils. But Coelho has hard time getting to the theme. The end, therefore, seems confusing. He wants to assert that humans are noble. He shows that the entire town decides to act in a good way. But then, Chantal’s decision shatters the idea of human nobility. The reader is not sure what author wants to assert. The novel reveals,

‘About the nature of human beings. I discovered that confronted by temptation, we will always fall. Given the right circumstances, every human being on this earth would be willing to commit evil.’ (Coelho)

It seems Coelho thinks that man is noble. But in a given situation, he may act otherwise. It can be true, but the confusing aspect is that the people who are shown morally neutral act good. But Chantal who is responsible for their nobility is evil. Doesn’t it imply that human nature is essentially evil, or at least hypocritical? Coelho does not give any remark to this. The question of human nature being good or evil is thus left unanswered. But it can be due to the fact that Coelho may not want to assert anything at all and simply invites the reader to draw his own conclusion.

Style and Structure:

The author has structured the beginning very well. The script is very true to the message of novel. However, as the plot unfolds it starts losing structural and contextual unity. This is the reason that conclusion does not appear as convincing as it should have been. It is apparent that Coelho already has a conclusion in mind that, men are good. But, how?

Maybe Coelho believes that in the face of evil, man tends to choose the option which is less evil. Chantal chooses gold but nobody gets killed due to her. But the gold isn’t hers to begin with. The possession of it is wrong, but it is not as wicked as a murder would have been. This implies that man is neither good nor evil, he is just an outcome of his circumstances. But when the reader recalls the decision of villagers, this idea again becomes dubious. If Chantal is outcome of her circumstances, why aren’t they?

Characterization:

The characters are not Coelho’s strength in this novel. The protagonist appears to be such a vicious yet shallow character. Even her stream of consciousness does not reveal her inner and true self which is very unreal and downright obnoxious. There are many authors who dissect human nature like Fyodor Dostoevsky, George Eliot, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf. Each author has his own opinion of human nature being either good or evil, but they conclude in such a convincing and realistic manner that it is very hard for the reader to deny their thought pattern. This conclusion is due to their effective characters who are true to human type.

The unnecessary obsession of Coelho with Christianity makes it even harder for him to draw effective characters. The majority of his characters in The Devil and Miss Prym act like puppets. The entire town goes to kill Bertha because the priest has asked them to do so and the entire town agrees not to kill Bertha because Chantal asks them to do so.

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Use of Language:

The book surely gives the reader a chance to go for an in-depth analysis of human nature in easy language. It is a perfect read for somebody who knows nothing of philosophy or psychology but wants to know about the philosophical and psychological aspects of existence in an easy and understandable language. The novel is also so full of words of wisdom which is very common when it comes to Coelho, for example,

‘So you see, Good and Evil have the same face; it all depends on when they cross the path of each individual human being.’ (Coelho)

‘It isn’t the desire to abide by the law that makes everyone behave as society requires, but the fear of punishment. Each one of us carries a gallows inside us.’ (Coelho)

Concluding Remarks:

The Devil and Miss Prym can be a light read for somebody who wants an introduction of human nature; just a tiny glimpse of what it means to be human. There is also the possibility that Coelho has wanted to go for an open ending and wants the reader to decide for himself and dissect human nature even further. Maybe he only wanted to present a fragment of human nature and not to discuss the whole dilemma of existence.

Recommended To:

The book is an amazing read if you are looking for a point to ponder. It gives you enough to think about. Another great merit of all the Coelho books is that they are very easy and fast read which is great for someone who is a beginner in the realm of reading.

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