Short Fiction · Character
La belle Zoraïde
A café-au-lait beauty raised at her mistress's side, whose heart chooses a sugarcane-field dancer over the mulatto her godmother has picked.
supporting
Also known as Zoraïde
First appearance: La Belle Zoraïde
As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, La belle Zoraïde is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The beautiful enslaved woman who falls in love with Mézor, is separated from her child, and descends into madness.
La belle Zoraïde has never done rougher work than a fine muslin seam, and her elegant manners are the envy of half the ladies of la rue Royale. Her mistress and godmother, Madame Delarivière, has arranged a respectable match with the cruel-eyed M'sieur Ambroise, but Zoraïde's heart was lost the moment she saw le beau Mézor dance the Bamboula in Congo Square. Her plea—'Am I white, nénaine?'—sets the whole tragedy of love, race, and possession quietly in motion.
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Character Web
6 connectionsA slice of how La belle Zoraïde sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Return, secrets, and passion
- Family secrets and hidden desires
- Protagonist
+1 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because Mrs. Mallard reaches the emotional and psychological peak of her e…
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Follow the arc while readingIn the story
La belle Zoraïde appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for La belle Zoraïde unlock in the free preview.
See La belle Zoraïde in La Belle Zoraïde