Short Fiction · Character

Mathilda

A solitary, well-read young woman raised in seclusion by a devoted father, whose deep understanding and quiet integrity make her the still center of an intensely emotional story.

major

Also known as my Mathilda

First appearance: Mathilda 9

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

Mathilda is the central figure, mourning her father and struggling with the legacy of their fraught relationship.

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Mathilda has lived a retired life, losing her mother young and being educated by a father whose peculiar ideas shaped her reading toward the Greeks, Romans, and older English writers rather than the events of the day. Her knowledge runs deeper than society's, and her beauty and sweetness are matched by a humbleness of soul and a firm belief in her own and others' integrity. The young man who adores her looks up to her as a guide and delights in the sense of inferiority she inspires, and it is this devotion, and the loss that follows, that the story's grief turns upon.

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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 represents the protagonist's final, desperate attempt to confro…

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In the story

Mathilda appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Mathilda 9
Mathilda is the central figure, mourning her father and struggling with the legacy of their fraught relationship.
III
Referred to by her father as 'my Mathilda, my consolation, and my hope' upon his return.
VI
The narrator and protagonist, who experiences profound grief and resolves to separate from her father after his confession.
VII
Receives and reads her father's letter, then immediately orders a carriage to follow him.
Endnotes
Central figure; her loneliness and love of nature are emphasized through revisions.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mathilda in Mathilda 9