the seventeenth century

The seventeenth century, known in the Netherlands as the Golden Age, is the historical period during which many of Amsterdam's iconic canal houses were constructed. When Hazel, Augustus, and her mother arrive in the city, their taxi driver informs them that "many of the canal houses date from the Golden Age, the seventeenth century." This detail immediately situates the characters within a city whose physical landscape is a monument to a past era of wealth, exploration, and cultural flourishing, a past that is both visible and tangible in the leaning row houses and the canals they overlook.

Historical Context and the City's Fabric

The seventeenth century represents a time of immense prosperity and global influence for the Dutch Republic. The canal houses built during this period are not merely old buildings; they are the enduring architectural evidence of a society that built its wealth on trade, colonialism, and a burgeoning capitalist economy. For Hazel, who is acutely aware of her own limited time, the presence of these centuries-old structures underscores a central tension of the novel: the contrast between the enduring, physical legacy of a nation and the ephemeral, personal legacy of an individual. The city itself is a testament to the fact that the world was built by the dead, a theme that resonates deeply with her own contemplation of oblivion and remembrance.

Narrative Significance: The Weight of the Past

The mention of the seventeenth century serves as a subtle but powerful narrative device, grounding the characters' personal drama within a much larger historical framework. As Hazel and Augustus navigate the streets of Amsterdam, they are walking through a city that has survived for hundreds of years, a city that has witnessed countless lives and deaths. This historical depth provides a counterpoint to the novel's focus on the brief, intense lives of its young protagonists. The seventeenth-century canal houses are not just a backdrop; they are a silent reminder that all human endeavors, no matter how grand, eventually become part of the past, a past that is both a foundation and a haunting presence for those who come after. The taxi driver's comment, delivered in perfect English, also subtly highlights the global interconnectedness of history, a theme that runs through the novel's exploration of how stories and lives cross borders and time.