In Earthy Joys and The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, two characters struggle with their repression, which fundamentally leads them to obtain their desires. Mary Boleyn, sister of the infamous Anne Boleyn, is a young girl who is ignorant to the ways of the court. She attempts to understand her scheming family and her basic need for love and appreciation, whereas John Tradescant, a gardener for Sir Robert Cecil, is a man torn by his desires for the Duke of Buckingham. Thematically, both characters are determined to conquer their suppression (duty). Philippa Gregory portrays their efforts through the use of setting and characterization, which helps support the theme.

Gregory utilizes setting to emphasize the struggles that both characters face when attempting to obtain their aspirations. In Earthly Joys -set in seventeenth century England during the reign of King James I- Gregory uses setting...