Girl in a Cage - Jane Yolen & Robert Harris

For my book report I decided to do read and write about Girl in a Cage written by: Jane Yolen & Robert Harris. The time period that this book takes place, is the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries of past time. This book is written upon a young girl at the age of 11 known as Marjorie. Due to her age relevance her story does not tell of her adulthood. However, threw out this story you see a young selfish child turn into a princess determined to fight for her country and her father Robert Bruce King of Scotland's life. The main character of this story is Marjorie Bruce princess of Switzerland. On the other hand, her father the other main character known as Robert the Bruce King of Switzerland`s accomplishment influence the young princesses life in many ways, ranging from things such as: parties, being captured, festivals, running from England's army, to becoming a princess, and then being captured as prisoner to Longshanks in a cage. As you see, there were many positive and negative influences from her father's accomplishments. With these negatives that are being talked about it made her as a person/individual stronger, mature, and ready to put up a fight. However, information coming from the epilogue it is said that the Marjorie at the age of twenty married Walter Stewart, one of the heroes of Bannockburn. She soon became pregnant. Tragically, she was badly injured in a fall from her horse and did not survive the birth of her son. (Cited from page 232/233). With being said, there were some influences from her childhood that affected her adult life but, are not approached along the story until the end where she dies. Another main character in this story was Marjorie's father who was born in 1274. His first wife Isabel of Mar died in 1297 shortly after Marjorie's birth who was his first and only daughter. However, in 1302 he marries his second wife Elizabeth de Burg (another main character). At the beginning of the story Robert the Bruce I the Earl of Carrick and the Lord of Annandale. He also owned many lands and homes in Scotland. Where he spent lots of time due to risk of being cheated by an estate manager. Or, being schemed by and English neighbor who grabbed off the land. However, the most important reason Robert the Bruce always visited his land was because of King Edward Longshanks who commonly took property from people he disliked. Due to the bipolar relationship Robert the Bruce and King Edward Longshanks had with each other is the main cause of the major reason that resulted in Marjorie and others being caged, tortured, or hanged. Longshanks though was the one that used Marjorie and the others to persuade Robert to get what he wanted. Longshanks also made many people dislike Robert which made many people to rebel against him. But, by the end of the war most of the people sided with Robert due to Longshanks cruel acts upon many people. Including, a monk that supplied Marjorie with her breakfast and evening