# Mary Taylor — The Quest of the Silver Fleece character guide > Mary Taylor in The Quest of the Silver Fleece by W. E. B. Du Bois. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Miss Mary Taylor, Miss Taylor, Mary **First appearance:** 0005-iii-miss-mary-taylor ## Snapshot A Northern-born schoolteacher who believes she can reform a Cresswell, Mary Taylor walks into the swamp and into a love she half-dreads. ## Who they are Mary Taylor is the white schoolteacher whose independence and unwomanly notions both pique and unsettle Harry Cresswell. Warned by a prophecy that she will marry him but be destroyed if she does, she nonetheless yields to his confession and kiss by the place of the Silver Fleece. Her choice binds her to the Cresswell family's fortunes and complicates her standing with the Black community she teaches, making her a study in good intentions entangled with Southern power. ## Relationships ### [Colonel Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/colonel_cresswell) _professional_ Colonel Cresswell employs Mary Taylor as a house servant, and he views her with a mix of paternalism and sexual objectification. ### [Harry Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/harry_cresswell) _romantic_ Harry pursues Mary Taylor as a mistress, but his advances are predatory and rooted in his sense of entitlement. ### [Zora Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/zora_cresswell) _friendship_ Mary and Zora share a bond of mutual support and understanding, both being Black women navigating a hostile society. ### [Colonel Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/colonel_cresswell) _professional_ Colonel Cresswell employs Mary Taylor as a house servant, and he views her with a mix of paternalism and sexual objectification. ### [Colonel Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/colonel_cresswell) _professional_ Colonel Cresswell employs Mary Taylor as a house servant, and he views her with a mix of paternalism and sexual objectification. ### [Zora Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/zora_cresswell) _friendship_ Mary and Zora share a bond of mutual support and understanding, both being Black women navigating a hostile society. ### [Harry Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/harry_cresswell) _romantic_ Harry pursues Mary Taylor as a mistress, but his advances are predatory and rooted in his sense of entitlement. ### [Harry Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/harry_cresswell) _romantic_ Harry pursues Mary Taylor as a mistress, but his advances are predatory and rooted in his sense of entitlement. ### [Zora Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/zora_cresswell) _friendship_ Mary and Zora share a bond of mutual support and understanding, both being Black women navigating a hostile society. ## In the story ### [III: Miss Mary Taylor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/iii-miss-mary-taylor) A Northern college graduate who is disappointed and repulsed by her assignment to teach at the Black school in Alabama. She feels isolated and struggles with the reality of race, but a conversation about cotton with Bles Alwyn briefly transcends the color line. ### [IV: Town](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/iv-town) Seeks information about the county, confronts the town's racial attitudes, and feels the weight of the Veil. ### [V: Zora](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/v-zora) Appears at the end of the chapter, dreaming of a luxurious summer with Mrs. Grey while teaching her class. Her reverie is interrupted by Zora's dramatic arrival in a scarlet dress. ### [VI: Cotton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/vi-cotton) A Wellesley graduate teaching at Miss Smith's school, torn between her conscience and her brother's manipulation. ### [The Place of Dreams](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/vii-the-place-of-dreams) Returns to school with dual objectives; struggles with her perceptions of black folk and her growing attachment to Bles, leading to a warning from Miss Smith. ### [Mr. Harry Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/viii-mr-harry-cresswell) Receives Harry Cresswell at the school and is impressed by him. She urges Miss Smith to expel Zora, believing Cresswell's accusations. ### [X: Mr. Taylor Calls](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/x-mr-taylor-calls) Rides with Harry Cresswell, observing the conditions of the plantation and its workers, and expresses a desire to help a Black child get an education. ### [The Flowering of the Fleece](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xi-the-flowering-of-the-fleece) Miss Taylor's complaint about Zora is dismissed by Miss Smith, who instead takes Zora under her wing. ### [XII: The Promise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xii-the-promise) Departs for the summer, having influenced Mrs. Grey's decision through her reports and her belief in a compromised approach to Black education. ### [XIII: Mrs. Grey Gives a Dinner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xiii-mrs-grey-gives-a-dinner) Defends Miss Smith's school but acknowledges disagreements, trying to navigate the dinner conversation diplomatically. ### [XVI: The Great Refusal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xvi-the-great-refusal) Mary Taylor tries to smooth over the situation after Miss Smith's refusal, but is later confronted by Miss Smith, who harshly criticizes her for her foolishness and for her role in the lives of Zora and Bles. ### [The Rape of the Fleece](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xvii-the-rape-of-the-fleece) Observes the Christmas market scene, initially seeing joy but then witnessing the underlying exploitation. She sees Zora and is struck by her sorrow-stricken face. ### [The Marriage Morning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xxi-the-marriage-morning) Mary Taylor arrives for the wedding, is startled to see Zora in the household, and feels uneasiness and suspicion. ### [XXVI: Congressman Cresswell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xxvi-congressman-cresswell) Now Mrs. Harry Cresswell, restless and unfulfilled in her marriage, yearning for a role in her husband's political life. ### [The Annunciation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xxviii-the-annunciation) Finds the Negro ball fascinating and is impressed by Bles Alwyn's dignity. She is actively involved with the Civic Club but agrees to give it up when her husband objects. ### [Atonement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/chapters/xxxviii-atonement) Receives a legacy from her father, plans to pay the school's mortgage, and encourages Zora to help Bles and Emma. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters/mary_taylor - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_quest_of_the_silver_fleece_se/characters