Unbridled Passions and Depravity in Dacre S Zofloya

Kelly Bissell Unbridled Passions and Depravity in Dacre’s “Zofloya”

Notes on the Author:

Charlotte Dacre was a London-born English author who lived from 1782-1841. While today she is commonly known as Charlotte Dacre, she often wrote under the pen name “Rosa Matilda”. She married an editor of a London newspaper, Nicholas Byrne and had three children with him. Charlotte often submitted poetry to the newspaper her husband worked at. Her submissions were received with anticipation by the poetry editor, who later had a large influence on her writing career and helped to gain Charlotte publicity and training. Dacre’s writings have had varying responses throughout the years. Because of her blatant talk of sexual desire and immorality, her writings were not widely spread upon publication. “Later in the nineteenth century, Dacre's literary reputation was apparently so low that her name was not included in the Dictionary of National Biography”…as her reputation grew, however, “scholars have discussed how the atypical and dynamic female characters in Dacre's oeuvre influenced both her own critical reception and the work of later writers.” http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Dacre_Charlotte.html http://www.enotes.com/nineteenth-century-criticism/charlotte-dacre

Notes on the Novel:

Dacre labels her novel as “‘gothic feminism’: female gothic novels that promote a feminist ideology based on the projection of professional femininity.” Charlotte Dacre’s novel is one that focuses on human depravity, the passions and madness of love/lust, and the consequences of acting upon these desires. Count Adolph seduces Laurina into committing adultery and, consequently, this action spirals down to affect and transform all of the character’s lives. From the beginning of the novel, the reader knows that Victoria is apparently destined to be depraved. Even before she leaves her parent’s roof, her father has “suspicion that her heart was evil.” (49) Victoria has an “ardent consuming desire to be situated like that unhappy mother” (60), and she does follow her mother’s footsteps. After her father’s death and her separation from her mother, Victoria strives for power. Her standing in society is ruined, as she is associated and connected with her mother’s sins. She uses deception, disguise, and artful acting to eventually win the heart of, marry, and murder Berenza. Victoria’s brother, Leonardo, is romantically involved with Megalena, who appears to be somewhat similar to Victoria in her acting, scheming, and deceit.

1. “Daring farther to investigate the real workings of her mind” (56). “Scarcely willing to analyze” (62). “Endeavored by occupation to banish reflection” (74). “His thoughts became painful and embarrassing—he sought again to lose them in activity” (105). Do you think Dacre is hinting that if characters had made time for self-reflection, or actually stopped to analyze their selfish and deprave passions, they would have decided against some of their actions? 2. Love is often talked about, specifically in relation to Leonardo & Megalena, and Victoria & Berenza. Did any of them really love each other? 3. What do you think about the idea of Victoria being compared to sin… as in a transformation of “beauty to deformity” (136)?

Dacre, Charlotte. Zofloya; or, The Moor, Ontario. Broadview Press, 1997. Print. http://go.galegroup.com.proxymu.wrlc.org/ps/retrieve.do? sgHitCountType=&sort=RELEVANCE&docLevel=&prodId=LitRG&tabID=T001&subjectPara m=&searchId=R3&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&curr entPosition=8&subjectAction=&bucketSubId=&inPS=true&userGroupName=vic_marymount &nav=next&sgCurrentPosition=&docId=GALE%7CH1420064526 http://go.galegroup.com.proxymu.wrlc.org/ps/retrieve.do? sgHitCountType=&sort=RELEVANCE&docLevel=&prodId=LitRG&tabID=T001&subj ectParam=&searchId=R3&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchType=AdvancedSearc hForm¤tPosition=10&subjectAction=&bucketSubId=&inPS=true&userGroupNa me=vic_marymount&nav=next&sgCurrentPosition=&docId=GALE%7CA66920982 http://go.galegroup.com.proxymu.wrlc.org/ps/retrieve.do? sgHitCountType=&sort=RELEVANCE&docLevel=&prodId=LitRG&tabID=T001&subj ectParam=&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchId=R3&searchType=AdvancedSearc hForm&subjectAction=&bucketSubId=&inPS=true&userGroupName=vic_marymount& sgCurrentPosition=&docId=GALE|A62981234¤tPosition=13 http://go.galegroup.com.proxymu.wrlc.org/ps/retrieve.do? sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=LitRG&userGroupNa me=vic_marymount&tabID=T001&searchId=R5&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&cont entSegment=&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm¤tPosition=2&contentSet=GAL E%7CH1420064529&&docId=GALE|H1420064529&docType=GALE&role=LitRC