Christine Carpenter
Background
Christine Carpenter is a resident of Shere, England. Her father is William Carpenter, her mother is Pauline Carpenter and her sister is Meg Carpenter.
During the events of Anchoress (1993) played by Natalie Morse
In the village of Shere, Christine watches as two men carry a statue of the Virgin Mary across the wheat field. As they stop to rest and take a nap, Christine approaches the statue and kisses it. After the statue is placed in the local church, Christine and Meg enter the church and place apples in patterns around the statue. Meg leaves and Christine falls asleep and later the door to the church opens and Meg returns with Pauline, the Reeve, William and the Priest. Pauline yells at Christine for offering the town's apples to the statue. The Reeve demands that every apple be brought back. but the Priest says that the offering can not be given back. He points out that if Eve had not taken the apple, then they never would have had Mary. That night, Christine has a dream about the statue and the church. The next day Christine and Meg are forced to gather rocks from the field. The Reeve rides up and offers a fruit to Christine and she gives it to his horse. He then tosses one to Meg, who eats it.
Christine, Meg, Pauline, Ragged Martin's Wife, Mary and Alice dig a hole in the field and pour milk and honey into it. Bertha sees them doing it and runs away. As they are harvesting the grain, Christine has images of the wheat stocks turning into strands of hair. Christine then goes to the statue and as she is altering the hair on it, the Priest catches her. She tells him that the statue's hair is wrong and then asks to stay with the statue. The Priest tells her the story of an anchoress who dwelled in a church and now flies in Heaven. Pauline tries to convince Christine not to become an anchoress.
Christine is brought to the church and questioned by the Bishop while Oswald translates from Latin to English. The town watch as Christine answers the questions correctly. The Mason then walls Christine into the church with her toy marble being the only thing from her old life that she keeps. The Priest's Boy shows the other children where Christine lives. Pauline brings Christine food and as the Reeve walks towards her cell, she closes the window flap. Mary asks Christine's advice about what she should do about pursuing Robert. More and more people bring offerings to Christine. Meg starts to ask Christine's advice about the Reeve, but leaves. Ragged Martin's Wife and Ragged Martin asks her why they don't have any children. The Dyer goes to speak to Christine, but when he calls her name, she doesn't answer. The Priest catches Pauline touching Christine and forbids Christine from touching others. An Old Pilgrim asks Christine if his sins will be forgiven.
In the evening, Meg tells Christine that Pauline is drunk again and then leaves with the Reeve. A plague victim goes to Christine and tells her to embrace her body and leaves. Christine then touches and pleasures herself. The Priest argues with Christine over the color of Mary's robes. Christine stops giving people advice and ignores anyone that asks her questions. Christine shows the Priest an embroidery she made in which Daisy is pregnant. Twin Pilgrims come to visit Christine, but she is too weak from the Priest forcing her to fast to speak with them. The Priest forbids Pauline and Meg from seeing Christine.
During winter, Meg brings Christine garments to help her keep warm. Christine starts to dig her way out of her cell. Daisy and the Drover help pull Christine from the ground and carry her away. Christine wakes up in the Drover's tree house and stretches her arms to the sky. The Drover takes Christine to the capitol and she walks inside of the church as the Reeve and the Priest also enter the church. She walks up the ladder to speak with the Bishop and asks to be released from her vows. She says that Mary's house is in the ground and the Bishop yells that she must burn. Christine climbs into a cavern under the church and excitedly touches the cavern walls.
