Short Fiction · Character

Lotta Schmidt

A Viennese woman whose life takes a dramatic turn amid suitors, ambition, and the pull between love and worldly advantage.

major

Also known as Lo, Lotta, regarded Lotta Schmidt

First appearance: Lotta Schmidt

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

Protagonist; torn between the attentions of Herr Crippel and Fritz Planken, she asserts her independence after a quarrel.

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Lotta Schmidt lives in a Vienna of music, courtship, and social calculation, where a man's rise may depend on the wife he chooses. She is caught between the claims of genuine affection and the worldly counsel of those who urge a more advantageous match, and her story turns on the question of whether the heart can hold its own against ambition. Her choices shape the early and middle arc as suitors and mothers alike weigh her against the prizes of rank and connection.

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Character Web

71 connections

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Relationship types

Friendship
Psychological
Romantic
Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Tragic French Love
Italian & German Love
Romantic Entanglements & Military
Dramatic Island Stories
Rural Romance & Family

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

Bessy Pryor’s internal struggle reaches its emotional and psychological peak as she wrestles with the conflict…

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Relationships

Fritz Planken
friendship · positive
Fritz Planken and Lotta Schmidt are cheerful, platonic friends who enjoy each other's… How this plays out →
Herr Crippel
psychological · negative
Captain Broughton
romantic · ambivalent
Herr Crippel
psychological · negative
Captain Broughton
romantic · ambivalent
Fritz Planken
friendship · positive
Fritz Planken and Lotta Schmidt are cheerful, platonic friends who enjoy each other's… How this plays out →
Fritz Planken
friendship · positive
Fritz Planken and Lotta Schmidt are cheerful, platonic friends who enjoy each other's… How this plays out →
Captain Broughton
romantic · ambivalent
Herr Crippel
psychological · negative

Fritz Planken
Fritz Planken and Lotta Schmidt are cheerful, platonic friends who enjoy each other's company in a lighthearted social circle.
Herr Crippel
Herr Crippel harbors an obsessive, possessive fixation on Lotta Schmidt, creating an unsettling dynamic.
Captain Broughton
Captain Broughton is a charming, flirtatious suitor to Lotta Schmidt, though his intentions may not be entirely serious.
Herr Crippel
Herr Crippel harbors an obsessive, possessive fixation on Lotta Schmidt, creating an unsettling dynamic.
Captain Broughton
Captain Broughton is a charming, flirtatious suitor to Lotta Schmidt, though his intentions may not be entirely serious.
Fritz Planken
Fritz Planken and Lotta Schmidt are cheerful, platonic friends who enjoy each other's company in a lighthearted social circle.
Fritz Planken
Fritz Planken and Lotta Schmidt are cheerful, platonic friends who enjoy each other's company in a lighthearted social circle.
Captain Broughton
Captain Broughton is a charming, flirtatious suitor to Lotta Schmidt, though his intentions may not be entirely serious.
Herr Crippel
Herr Crippel harbors an obsessive, possessive fixation on Lotta Schmidt, creating an unsettling dynamic.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Lotta Schmidt appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Lotta Schmidt

Chapter companion notes

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