# Flora de Barral — Chance character guide > Flora de Barral in Chance by Joseph Conrad. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Flora, Florrie, Miss de Barral, Flora Anthony, Flora Marlow **First appearance:** 0004-part-i-the-damsel ## Snapshot The disgraced financier's daughter, shunted between resentful relatives and strangers, who guards her pride like a weapon and trusts almost no one. ## Who they are Flora de Barral is a girl whose father's ruin has made her a burden passed among reluctant relatives, and she reads every kindness as a trap. Her flight from her aunt's household and her refusal to be liked by people she despises reveal a fierce, wounded self-possession. When she meets the Fynes and later Captain Anthony, her suspicion and her hunger for safety pull her toward choices that will shape the whole story. ## Relationships ### [Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/fyne) _social_ Flora is a guest and dependent of the Fyne family, with Fyne acting as a distant and somewhat disapproving guardian figure. ### [Captain Anthony](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/captain_anthony) _romantic_ Captain Anthony is Flora's devoted husband, having rescued her from despair, and their relationship is intense and protective. ### [Charles Powell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/charles_powell) _friendship_ Powell is a kind and supportive friend to Flora, often acting as her ally and confidant during difficult times. ### [Mrs. Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/mrs_fyne) _social_ Flora and Mrs. Fyne have a tense social relationship, with Mrs. Fyne acting as a patronizing and judgmental figure. ### [Mrs. Brown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/mrs_brown) _psychological_ Mrs. Brown is a manipulative and cruel governess who torments Flora, creating a relationship of victim and abuser. ### [Carleon Anthony](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/carleon_anthony) _family_ Carleon Anthony is Flora's father-in-law, a distant and disapproving patriarch who never fully accepts her. ### [Ted](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/ted) _friendship_ Ted is a loyal and simple friend to Flora, providing her with unconditional support and companionship. ### [Mr. Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/mr_smith) _social_ Flora and Mr. Smith are social acquaintances, with Smith being a peripheral figure in her life. ### [Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/fyne) _social_ Flora is a guest and dependent of the Fyne family, with Fyne acting as a distant and somewhat disapproving guardian figure. ### [Captain Anthony](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/captain_anthony) _romantic_ Captain Anthony is Flora's devoted husband, having rescued her from despair, and their relationship is intense and protective. ### [Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/fyne) _social_ Flora is a guest and dependent of the Fyne family, with Fyne acting as a distant and somewhat disapproving guardian figure. ### [Mrs. Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/mrs_fyne) _social_ Flora and Mrs. Fyne have a tense social relationship, with Mrs. Fyne acting as a patronizing and judgmental figure. ## In the story ### [Author's Note](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/author-s-note) Mentioned as the character who passed before Conrad during his indecision and is 'really responsible' for the novel. ### [Part I: The Damsel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/part-i-the-damsel) A young woman introduced under the false name Miss Smith, whose life is marked by her father's financial crash and abandonment. ### [II: The Fynes and the Girlfriend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/ii-the-fynes-and-the-girlfriend) Discussed as the girl who has run away with Captain Anthony; described as an orphan 'to a certain extent.' ### [III: Thrift—and the Child](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/iii-thrift-and-the-child) The child affected by the ruin and her mother's death, left in the care of a governess. ### [IV: The Governess](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/iv-the-governess) The young heiress, unaware of the impending betrayal, enjoys her last ride with Charley and is later confronted by the governess. ### [V: The Tea-Party](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/v-the-tea-party) Discussed at length; her past hardships and her relationship with Captain Anthony are the main topics of conversation. ### [VI: Flora](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/vi-flora) Her past is revealed: she suffered in a vulgar household, was sent to Hamburg, and was cruelly dismissed by a merchant's wife. ### [VII: On the Pavement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/vii-on-the-pavement) Confides in Marlow about her meeting with Captain Anthony, expressing shame and remorse. She asks him to keep her encounter with Anthony a secret. ### [Part II: The Knight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/part-ii-the-knight) Staying with the Fynes, she is the subject of Mrs. Fyne's matchmaking. She is described as having a 'forlorn' aspect and is being prepared for a meeting with Captain Anthony. ### [I: The Ferndale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/i-the-ferndale) Though not present, she is the central subject of Marlow's speculation and the cause of the changes observed in Captain Anthony. ### [II: Young Powell Sees and Hears](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/ii-young-powell-sees-and-hears) Referred to as Mrs. Anthony, she is seen as a young, girlish figure reclining in a deck chair. Her presence is a shock to Powell and a source of resentment for the crew. ### [III: Devoted Servants—and the Light of a Flare](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/iii-devoted-servants-and-the-light-of-a-flare) Now Mrs. Anthony, appears passive and enduring, with a quiet dignity amidst the shipboard tensions. ### [IV: Anthony and Flora](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/iv-anthony-and-flora) Feels humiliated and worthless, yet accepts Anthony's proposal out of a sense of duty. ### [V: The Great de Barral](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/v-the-great-de-barral) She is anxious and remorseful during the reunion, trying to convince her father of the safety and generosity of her new husband, Captain Anthony. ### [VI: … a Moonless Night, Thick with Stars Above, Very Dark on the Water](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/vi-a-moonless-night-thick-with-stars-above-very-dark-on-the-water) Now Mrs. Anthony, she reflects on her marriage and the letter she wrote to Mrs. Fyne. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/flora_de_barral - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters