Short Fiction · Character

Mademoiselle De Lafontaine

The vivacious governess whose bright, watchful presence in the schloss makes her both a comfort and a puzzle to those around her.

supporting

Also known as Mademoiselle De Lafontaine, Mademoiselle De, Mademoiselle, the vivacious Mademoiselle Lafontaine

First appearance: carmilla

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

The finishing governess who is part of the small household at the castle.

In the storyI: An Early FrightOpen this moment free

In the cloistered world of the Karnstein household, Mademoiselle De Lafontaine is the lively, sociable counterweight to her more reserved companions, moving easily between the drawing-room and the schoolroom. Her cheerfulness masks an attentiveness that catches details others miss, and her position as an outsider within the family gives her a peculiar vantage on its strange rhythms. As the early days at the schloss unfold, her observations and easy manner help establish the ordinary texture of life against which the uncanny begins to press.

See Mademoiselle De Lafontaine in I: An Early Fright Book page

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Character Web

5 connections

A slice of how Mademoiselle De Lafontaine sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Vampire and haunted house
Ghost story narrators
Carmilla story figures

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of the narrator's horror and the r…

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In the story

Mademoiselle De Lafontaine appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I: An Early Fright
The finishing governess who is part of the small household at the castle.
II: A Guest
One of the governesses, who speaks of the moon's mystical and magnetic influences.
III: We Compare Notes
One of the ladies present; she describes a hideous black woman in the carriage and advises against approaching Carmilla too soon.
VI: A Very Strange Agony
Mademoiselle De Lafontaine joins the family for a card party after the morning's events.
VII: Descending
Vivacious companion who laughs at the narrator's story but mentions the haunted lime-tree walk.
Search
Participates in the search and later leaves to fetch valerian and sal-volatile.
A Petition
The narrator, who recounts the events and agrees to care for Millarca.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Mademoiselle De Lafontaine unlock in the free preview.

See Mademoiselle De Lafontaine in carmilla

See Mademoiselle De Lafontaine in I: An Early Fright