Short Fiction · Character

Paula Legendre

A beautiful, deliberate woman who listens in silence while her mother negotiates her future and later marries for the status Anson cannot give.

supporting

Also known as Paula, Deliberately Paula, Hagerty, Paula Legendre Hagerty

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Paula Legendre is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Anson's first serious love, whose engagement to another man marks a turning point in Anson's emotional life.

In the storyThe Rich BoyOpen this moment free

Paula Legendre sits wordless during the long talk between Anson and Mrs. Legendre, her unhappiness and her mother's cool bargaining leaving Anson with moral superiority but no advantage. She is the great love Anson never quite secures, and her eventual marriage to a Bostonian becomes the measure of what he has lost. Her divorce and remarriage years later leave him talking about her all one afternoon, insisting he no longer cares.

See Paula Legendre in The Rich Boy Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Character Web

13 connections

A slice of how Paula Legendre sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Romantic
Other

Character groups

Varied fates and transformations
Social climbers and romantics

+8 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Val reaches his emotional and psychological peak in this passage as he confronts the painful gap between his r…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Anson Hunter
romantic · ambivalent
Anson and Paula share a long-term romantic relationship that ultimately fails due to… How this plays out →
Anson Hunter
romantic · ambivalent
Anson and Paula share a long-term romantic relationship that ultimately fails due to… How this plays out →
Anson Hunter
romantic · ambivalent
Anson and Paula share a long-term romantic relationship that ultimately fails due to… How this plays out →

Anson Hunter
Anson and Paula share a long-term romantic relationship that ultimately fails due to Anson's inability to commit and his restless nature.
Anson Hunter
Anson and Paula share a long-term romantic relationship that ultimately fails due to Anson's inability to commit and his restless nature.
Anson Hunter
Anson and Paula share a long-term romantic relationship that ultimately fails due to Anson's inability to commit and his restless nature.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Paula Legendre in i

In the story

Paula Legendre appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Rich Boy
Anson's first serious love, whose engagement to another man marks a turning point in Anson's emotional life.
II
A conservative, serious beauty from California with a personal fortune; she and Anson fall in love and agree to marry.
III
Paula is impressed by Anson's family but is dismayed by his drunken behavior; she defends him to her mother but later questions their compatibility.
IV
Grows to think of Anson as two alternating personalities. She considers a last-minute marriage but decides against it due to his drinking. After the breakup, her letters become tender, but she eventually becomes engaged to Lowell Thayer.
V
Though married, Paula's memory haunts Anson. Her portrait in his room serves as a constant reminder of his lost love, influencing his decisions with Dolly.
VI
Paula's earlier marriage is compared to Dolly's; Anson reflects on his past love for her.
VII
Now Mrs. Peter Hagerty and pregnant, Paula encounters Anson at the Plaza Hotel, showing that the memory of their past relationship has lost its emotional weight for her.
VIII
Paula Legendre Hagerty dies in childbirth three days before Anson sails. Her death is mentioned but Anson shows no visible emotion.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Paula Legendre unlock in the free preview.

See Paula Legendre in i

See Paula Legendre in The Rich Boy