Clotel · Character

Clotel

A quadroon beauty rumored to be Thomas Jefferson's daughter, she loves, loses, and schemes her way toward freedom while shielding her child and her rival from grief.

major

Also known as Miss Clotel, poor Clotel, Clotel The

First appearance: Clotel

As a major figure in Clotel, Clotel is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The protagonist, a beautiful and educated slave woman, daughter of Thomas Jefferson, who experiences love, betrayal, and a tragic end.

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Clotel is a fair-skinned enslaved woman whose beauty and near-white complexion let her pass as a free lady, a fact she turns into a weapon when she disguises herself as the invalid Mr. Johnson and books passage north. Her love for Horatio Green survives his abandonment, yet she refuses to answer his pleading letters and prays his new wife never learns she exists, choosing another woman's peace over her own heart. That self-denial, paired with her fierce devotion to her daughter Mary, drives the novel's central ache: a mother who can be sold away from her child at any moment.

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Character Web

22 connections

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Relationship types

Romantic
Psychological
Friendship
Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Abolitionist allies
Diverse supporting characters

+17 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

In this conclusion, the emotional and psychological peak occurs as the narrator shifts from personal testimony…

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Relationships

Horatio Green
romantic · negative
Clotel and Horatio are lovers, with Horatio being the father of Clotel's child, though… How this plays out →
William Wells Brown
psychological · ambivalent
Georgiana Carlton
friendship · positive
Mr. Green
rivalry · negative
William Wells Brown
psychological · ambivalent
Horatio Green
romantic · negative
Clotel and Horatio are lovers, with Horatio being the father of Clotel's child, though… How this plays out →
Georgiana Carlton
friendship · positive
Horatio Green
romantic · negative
Clotel and Horatio are lovers, with Horatio being the father of Clotel's child, though… How this plays out →
William Wells Brown
psychological · ambivalent

Horatio Green
Clotel and Horatio are lovers, with Horatio being the father of Clotel's child, though their relationship is marked by tragedy and betrayal.
William Wells Brown
William Wells Brown, as the author and narrator, has a meta-textual relationship with Clotel, observing and chronicling her suffering and fate.
Georgiana Carlton
Clotel and Georgiana share a bond of sympathy and mutual support, with Georgiana often showing kindness to Clotel despite their different social positions.
Mr. Green
Mr. Green is antagonistic toward Clotel, representing the oppressive slaveholding class that seeks to control and exploit her.
William Wells Brown
William Wells Brown, as the author and narrator, has a meta-textual relationship with Clotel, observing and chronicling her suffering and fate.
Horatio Green
Clotel and Horatio are lovers, with Horatio being the father of Clotel's child, though their relationship is marked by tragedy and betrayal.
Georgiana Carlton
Clotel and Georgiana share a bond of sympathy and mutual support, with Georgiana often showing kindness to Clotel despite their different social positions.
Horatio Green
Clotel and Horatio are lovers, with Horatio being the father of Clotel's child, though their relationship is marked by tragedy and betrayal.
William Wells Brown
William Wells Brown, as the author and narrator, has a meta-textual relationship with Clotel, observing and chronicling her suffering and fate.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Clotel appears across 12 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Clotel
The protagonist, a beautiful and educated slave woman, daughter of Thomas Jefferson, who experiences love, betrayal, and a tragic end.
I: The Negro Sale
The beautiful quadroon daughter of Thomas Jefferson, sold at auction for $1,500 to Horatio Green.
Going to the South
Mentioned as having visited the prison daily to see her mother and sister, but unaware of their departure.
The Quadroon’s Home
The quadroon heroine living in a secluded cottage with Horatio Green; she is a devoted mother to Mary and urges Horatio to move to a free country.
VIII: The Separation
Heartbroken upon learning of Horatio's marriage, she ends their relationship with dignity and refuses to participate in a secret affair.
XV: Today a Mistress, Tomorrow a Slave
Sold to Walker and then to Mr. French in Vicksburg; forced to cut her hair; suffers grief from separation from her daughter Mary.
Retaliation
Referenced as Mary's mother and Horatio's former lover, her memory haunts Horatio.
XIX: Escape of Clotel
Clotel, sold to Mr. French in Vicksburg, is treated with respectful gentleness by her new master but remains steadfast in her refusal to accept his advances. She plans and executes an escape disguised as a gentleman, with William's help.
A Ride in a Stagecoach
Travels in disguise as an Italian or Spanish gentleman, heading to Richmond to find her daughter Mary.
The Arrest
Returns to Richmond disguised as a gentleman to find her daughter Mary; arrested as a fugitive slave and imprisoned.
XXV: Death Is Freedom
The fugitive slave who escapes from the Washington prison and leaps to her death from the Long Bridge.
The Escape
Arrested while trying to rescue Mary; dies before Mary learns of her presence.

Chapter companion notes

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