# Fayaway — Typee character guide

> Fayaway in Typee by Herman Melville.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** young Fayaway, Miss Fayaway, poor dear Fayaway

**First appearance:** 0012-x

## Snapshot

A young Typee woman whose easy grace and unguarded affection give the narrator his most tender and most troubling glimpse of island life.

## Who they are

Fayaway moves through the valley with a lightness that the narrator, hemmed in by his own fears, can never quite match. Their bond — the lake he christens for her, the small daily intimacies — softens the story's mounting claustrophobia and makes the question of escape genuinely painful. She is the human face of everything the narrator stands to lose, and the reason his captivity never feels simple.

## Relationships

### [Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/characters/narrator)

_romantic_

Fayaway is a beautiful native woman who develops a tender, romantic bond with the narrator during his stay.

### [Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/characters/narrator)

_romantic_

Fayaway is a beautiful native woman who develops a tender, romantic bond with the narrator during his stay.

### [Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/characters/narrator)

_romantic_

Fayaway is a beautiful native woman who develops a tender, romantic bond with the narrator during his stay.

## In the story

### [Typee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/typee)

A young Typee woman who becomes Tommo's close friend and companion, representing the gentle and idyllic aspects of the tribe.

### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xi)

Described in detail as the loveliest female in Typee, with minimal tattooing and a natural grace.

### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xiv)

Shows tender sympathy for the narrator and reluctantly reveals that Toby has gone with the boats.

### [Chapter XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xviii)

Gains exemption from the taboo, uses her tappa as a sail during a canoe ride, and receives a calico dress from the narrator.

### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xx)

Accompanies the narrator during morning walks and evening activities.

### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxii)

Accompanies the narrator to the Ti but withdraws due to taboo; later appears in gala costume, adorned with flowers and white tappa.

### [The Feast of Calabashes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxiii)

Fayaway is not directly mentioned in this chapter, but is part of the broader narrative context.

### [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxiv)

Mentioned in connection with the lake named after her, near the mausoleum.

### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxv)

Mentioned as the most beautiful example of the light olive complexion among Typee women.

### [The Social Condition and General Character of the Typees](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxvii)

Not directly mentioned but belongs to the 'gentle sex' whose freedoms are extolled.

### [Fishing Parties and Midnight Banquets](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxviii)

Eats raw fish in a ladylike manner, shocking the narrator but eventually inspiring his conformity.

### [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxxi)

Excels at playing the nasal flute, described as graceful with the instrument.

### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxxii)

Mentioned as still engaging and kind despite the narrator's growing misery.

### [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxxiii)

Lies beside the narrator during his periods of rest and solitude.

### [The Escape](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/xxxiv)

The narrator's companion who clings to him sobbing as he departs, receiving a parting embrace.

### [The Story of Toby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/chapters/the-story-of-toby)

Fayaway appears with Tinor, weeping and holding up three fingers to indicate Toby's return in three days.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/characters/fayaway
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/typee_se/characters