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As a global organization, we, like many others, recognize the Zofloya: Or the Moor threat posed by the coronavirus. During this time, we have made some of our learning resources freely accessible. Our distribution centers are open and orders can be placed online. Do be advised that shipments may be Zofloya: Or the Moor due to extra safety precautions implemented at our centers and delays with local shipping carriers. Request Examination Copy. The novel follows Victoria's progress from spoilt daughter of indulgent aristocrats, through a period of abuse and captivity, to a career of deepening criminality conducted under Satan's watchful eye. The novel's most daring aspect is its anatomy of Victoria's intense sexual Zofloya: Or the Moor to her Moorish servant Zofloya that transgresses taboos both of class and race. A minor scandal on its Zofloya: Or the Moor publication, and a significant influence on Byron and Shelley, Zofloya has been unduly neglected. Contradicting idealized Zofloya: Or the Moor of women's writing, the novel's portrait of indulged desire, gratuitous cruelty, and monumental self- absorption retains considerable power to disturb. The introduction to this edition, the first for nearly years, examines why Zofloya deserves to be read alongside established Gothic classics as the highly original work of an intriguing and unconventional writer. About the Series: For over years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Academic Skip to main content. Search Start Search. Choose your country or region Close. Dear Customer, As a global organization, we, like many others, recognize the significant threat posed by the coronavirus. Please contact our Customer Service Team if you have any questions. Also of Interest. Redgauntlet Walter Scott. On Sympathetic Grounds Naomi Greyser. Selected Poems Rainer Maria Rilke. British Writers and Paris: Elisabeth Jay. Satires and Epistles Horace. Selected Poems and Songs Robert R. The Water-Babies Charles Kingsley. Romance's Rival Talia Schaffer. Kidnapped Robert Louis Stevenson. Bible and Novel Norman Vance. Zofloya: or the Moor: or the Review – Cauldron Comforts

It was her second novel. It was published in three parts, and later collected into a single volume. It was highly criticised during its publication, due to its provocative subject matter and religious and racial themes. Zofloya opens with the adulterous actions of the mother, Laurina di Cornari, and continues to portray the repercussions of her sinful actions throughout the novel. Victoria de Loredani is the beautiful, spoiled daughter of the Marchese di Loredani and his wife, Laurina. Victoria, her brother Leonardo, and her parents reside in a palazzo in Venice, Italy. They live in happiness until the Marchese's friend, Count Ardolph, visits from Germany. Ardolph takes pleasure in destroying the reputations Zofloya: Or the Moor pure women, and breaking up happy marriages. He quickly sets his sights on Laurina di Loredani. Laurina's vanity makes her susceptible to Ardolph's advances, and he seduces her away Zofloya: Or the Moor the husband she claims to love. They disappear from Venice together, which sets off a cascade of increasingly tragic events. After Laurina elopes, Leonardo disappears from Venice without explanation, leaving only Victoria and her father in the palazzo. One year later, the Marchese encounters Ardolph in the streets of Venice. They duel, and Ardolph stabs the Marchese—a wound that puts the Marchese on his deathbed. Laurina pays him a final visit, and the Marchese expresses his dying wish that Laurina will find Leonardo, reclaim her children, and leave Venice. Berenza quickly falls in love with Victoria, but after he overhears her curse her mother, Berenza becomes wary of her evil character. Laurina and Ardolph do not approve of Berenza, so Laurina forges a letter in Victoria's handwriting persuading Berenza to leave Venice. Ardolph and Laurina then send Victoria to live under the tyrannical rule of Laurina's cousin, Signora di Modena. Zofloya: Or the Moor the help of her servant, Victoria escapes the Signora's household, disguises herself as a peasantand returns to Venice. She reconciles with Berenza, and they begin living together. Berenza tells her of his former mistress Megalena, who is known for her jealousy. One night, an assassin enters the home of Victoria and Berenza. He attempts Zofloya: Or the Moor stab Berenza in his sleep, but Victoria Zofloya: Or the Moor and defends her lover by taking the dagger in her arm instead. The man flees, and Berenza awakens deeply shaken by the occurrence. He is impressed by Victoria's action and no longer questions her love for him. Victoria decides not to tell Berenza that she noticed that her long-lost brother, Leonardo, was the assassin. The book then switches to the point of view of Leonardo, recounting what happened to him after his mother abandoned him and he ran away. First, he found shelter with the Zappi family. He fell in love with the family's daughter Amamia, but the mother, Signora Zappi, fell in love with him. Leonardo rejected her advances. Signora Zappi then tried to frame Leonardo, falsely accusing him of rape. Leonardo did not defend himself; instead, he left the Zappi household. Leonardo then took shelter with an old woman, Nina, who was mourning the death of her son. Nina then died, and Leonardo had to move again. Finally, he returned to Venice, where he caught the eye of the fatal Megalena Strozzi. She convinced him to take her as his mistress, told him of the death of his father, and began to control his every move. One day, Megelena came across her former lover Berenza with his new lover Victoria. In a rage, she told Leonardo that in order to prove his love to Zofloya: Or the Moor, he must kill Berenza. After some hesitation, he agrees. He comes back after stabbing his own sister instead of Berenza, and tells Megalena what happened. They realize that he left the dagger there, and that Megalena's name is engraved on it. They flee Venice to avoid discovery. The narration now switches back to the perspective of Victoria. Berenza is deeply moved by Victoria's loving action and decides it is time for them to be married. Five years later, Berenza's brother Henriquez comes to visit. Victoria quickly realizes she has feelings for Henriquez, but is saddened to discover that his heart lies with Lilla. Victoria feels that she must do anything to prevent the marriage of Lilla and Henriquez, even at the destruction of lives and hearts, much in the manner of her mother. She begins dreaming about how she will destroy Lilla and be with Henriquez. During her dreams, a Zofloya: Or the Moor face begins to surface: that of Henriquez's servant Zofloya, Zofloya: Or the Moor she sees as someone who can help her destroy Lilla. During the day, she is intrigued by the handsome figure of the Moor Zofloya, and notices him catching her eye. Zofloya disappears shortly after, apparently having been killed, but strangely returns to Berenza and Victoria's household later. He approaches Victoria and tells her to meet him in the garden. Victoria confesses her desire for Henriquez, Zofloya: Or the Moor Zofloya claims he can help her fulfill any desire that she seeks. She is hesitant to take his help, but ultimately her desires take over her body and mind. Zofloya shares his knowledge of poisons and the two begin to plan the slow destruction of Berenza. As Berenza's health slowly declines, Zofloya advises Victoria to change locations since she is wary of being suspected of Berenza's poisoning. Victoria, Berenza, Henriquez, Lilla, and Lilla's elderly relative retreat to Berenza's mountain castle. Victoria is impatient for Berenza to die and Zofloya: Or the Moor Zofloya's methods. Zofloya mentions a poison he believes will kill Berenza immediately, but first he tests the poison on Lilla's elderly relative, who does not die immediately, and must be strangled by Zofloya. After two more weeks of waiting for Berenza to die, Zofloya: Or the Moor gives him his final ration of poison, and Berenza dies; the cause appears to Zofloya: Or the Moor a heart attack. Berenza's death makes Henriquez suspicious. He begins to despise Victoria. In a moment of panicVictoria confesses her love to Henriquez. He is harsh and cruel to Zofloya: Or the Moor, but then realises that she was the wife of his brother, Zofloya: Or the Moor he should contain his hatred for her. Victoria decides the only way to win his love is to eliminate Lilla. Zofloya and Victoria capture Lilla and tie her Zofloya: Or the Moor in a cave. Henriquez is deeply upset when he discovers his lover is missing. Victoria confesses her love again, but Henriquez still refuses to reciprocate her emotion. Victoria runs to Zofloya, upset that he has not helped her attain her desires. He tells her she can have Henriquez if she appears to be Lilla. He gives her a potion to administer to Henriquez, which will make the first woman Zofloya: Or the Moor sees when he awakens appear as the woman of his dreams. Zofloya fails to mention that the illusion will only last until Henriquez falls asleep again. Victoria gives Henriquez the potion and gets her Zofloya: Or the Moor of having him see her and love her as "Lilla" for a day. When they awaken in bed together the next morning, Henriquez realises that he had been wronged, and was with Victoria all night. He kills himself in response by jumping on a sword in his room. Victoria is furious with Zofloya for tricking her. In her passion, she stabs Lilla and throws her off a Zofloya: Or the Moor. Victoria realises she is in Zofloya's thrall, and he seduces her with his words. He leads her to the bandittiled by her brother Leonardo. One night, the banditti bring a woman and man into their savage home. Zofloya: Or the Moor woman and man turn out to be Laurina and Ardolph. Leonardo stabs Ardolph and proclaims that he has finally had his vengeance. Laurina is frightened by Leonardo's actions and, as a gasp escapes her lips, Leonardo turns back his attention to her. He demands to know which of the banditti have harmed her and caused the bruises and cuts she suffer from, but they tell him that it was Ardolph had been beating her and her cries had attracted their attention. On her deathbed, Laurina begs her children for their forgiveness. Victoria refuses, but Leonardo readily forgives her. Leonardo scorns Victoria for being so harsh to their mother. All the characters and their connecting stories come together in Zofloya: Or the Moor final scene, and their unfortunate pasts surface. Leonardo and Megalena kill themselves, and Victoria is filled with guilt for all her past actions. She turns to Zofloya to tell him about her guilt, and instead of comforting her, he unmasks himself, thus revealing his hideous nature inside and out. He declares that he is Satanand had tempted and used Victoria repeatedly. Victoria then gets annihilated by the Devil. Dacre ends the story with a short paragraph, commenting on the novel. She claims that her story is more than a romance. She comments on human naturetheir passions and weakness, and "either the love of evil is born with us, or we must attribute them to the suggestions of infernal influence. He is left by his wife and later dies as a result of a duel with Ardolph his former wife Laurina's lover. Laurina di Cornari : mother of Leonardo and Victoria, married to the Marchese for Zofloya: Or the Moor years before she leaves him and abandons her family for Count Ardolph. The children blame her for all their Zofloya: Or the Moor throughout the novel. Victoria di Loredani : a beautiful woman who is very proud and self-sufficient. Zofloya: or The Moor by Charlotte Dacre, Kim Ian Michasiw, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

Arguably, that may be because there is more at work in the characterization of the awful heroine, Victoria, than simply being a vile representation of her sex. The text is complicated, however, when Victoria transgresses too far, in fact, to the realm of evil. This unsolved problem notes the social Zofloya: Or the Moor and inequality of the female position for which Dacre cannot attribute an answer but addresses a problem — that problem not being the danger of a woman in power, but of the weakness and ridiculousness Zofloya: Or the Moor the feminine sensibility. Dacre is noting a problem with female characterization and role in the domestic sphere as embodied in the useless, passive character Lilla and creates a newer, stronger, active female. While both female characters ultimately fail, Dacre is attributing to Victoria the active role; the woman seeking change with the ability to physically change and emotionally adapt to get her desires fulfilled. Victoria transgresses her female contemporaries Ellena of The ItalianAntonia of The Monk and Lilla of Zofloya ; she oversteps her duty as the female to be one subject to terror, or the damsel in distress, and instead embodies the deliverer of horror, or the Zofloya: Or the Moor villain. Feminist critic Juliann Fleenor addresses in her introduction to the novel Female Gothic that the Gothic novel can be directly related to the Sentimental novel 9. While the Gothic novel is characterized by its excess, both genres deal with a very simple structure — the virtuous ones prevail and the evil ones fail. Victoria is not easily categorized in any of the sexual stereotypes. Moreover, throughout the course of the novel she arguably travels through all four. While these two qualities are not implicitly bad they are decidedly unfeminine — the very nature prescribed to a domestic woman is dependency. Female Gothic, in its most simplistic definition, is the literary work of women written for women in the Gothic genre Moers Although written by a woman, Dacre conforms more to the horror style of Lewis where we also see the masculine, demoralized Matilda. Although Victoria is more like the female character in The MonkVictoria is not a demon; she is not inherently, presumably, supposed to be this evil. Victoria Zofloya: Or the Moor described as the antithesis of sensibility and domesticity Moreno and this is made very clear by the presence of her foil, Lilla. The first description of Lilla sets up for the reader the description of a female that is most conventionally desirable:. Long flaxen hair floated over her shoulders: she might have personified innocence in the days of her childhood. Her very situation had a powerful claim upon the heart of sensibility, for the blooming Lilla was an orphan Dacre Other than her angelic beauty and grace, Lilla is static and useless — she is described by her smallness and fragility; her purpose in the novel is only to contrast those traits which Victoria does not possess. The abject is associated with fear; the most easily recognizable form of abjection that Kristeva exemplifies is the human relationship with death — it is a part of the human experience yet we fear, even Zofloya: Or the Moor, the very thought of it. Victoria is unable to succeed because that which she has abjected and ultimately murdered, Lilla, was a part of herself. The two opposing females are both necessary parts to form the success of an individual woman; one cannot succeed without the other. In Zofloya: Or the Moor way Dacre may not be critiquing this horrible woman of vice, but the virtuous woman of sensibility. One of the most upheld conventions of the Gothic novels is that the heroine is dominated or captured by a male force, for example Ellena of The Italian being locked in a castle room by the corrupt monk Schedoni, or Antonia of The Monk being locked in a Capuchin crypt by Ambrosio. Both of these women rely on their male love interests to save them or else they will perish; they are entirely dependent on another. Conversely, Victoria, prior to meeting Zofloya, is entirely self-sufficient. When she is brought to captivity by Laurina and Ardolph, Victoria does not wait for, or even expect to be saved by, another — she escapes of her own volition. Unlike the conventional virtue in distress of sensibilityVictoria is the villain which puts virtue in distress; like Schedoni and Ambrosio, Victoria captures and threatens the innocent girl by virtue of her overwhelming female perfection. Additionally, there is something notable in the way Victoria meets her demise; she only begins her evil decline once she has met her male counterpart Zofloya. It is arguable, then, that the only reason Victoria descends into the realm of murder and vice and ultimate failure is because she allowed herself to lose control — to be oppressed. The sublime is working with her rather than against her. While Charlotte Dacre never outwardly expressed sentiments of feminism or protested female domesticity, since she married and had three children of her own, her library of works have a trend of depicting female sexual deviancy Baines para. Arguably, there is also an equally prominent critique in her work of the sensible female. Dacre in no way insists that Victoria is a virtuous character, but her youthful independency and intellect is not what is punished; Dacre only reveals the bestial unnaturalness of Victoria when she has allowed her sexual desires to take hold of her values. Craciun admits that dark female characters are often present in female Gothic but not at primary characters. Lilla represents the useless, domestic female figure that Victoria is attempting to evolve from. Victoria is the woman trapped in the marriage plot, and not until Zofloya: Or the Moor late 19 th century will authors begin writing about women dissatisfied with the condemnation of marriage Victoria feels as if her individuality has Zofloya: Or the Moor stripped from her when she marries Berenza and her thoughts are constantly dwelling upon her dissatisfaction with married life Dacre has created a strong proto-feminist Zofloya: Or the Moor — a ruthless lady who is not afraid to bend the rules to achieve her goals and maintain control of her life. Baines, Paul. Oxford University Press, Sept Beauvais, Jennifer. Chaplin, Sue. Craciun, Adriana. Ontario: Broadview Press, Zofloya: Or the Moor Books. Dacre, Charlotte. Zofloya, or The Moor. Kim Michasiw. New York: Oxford, Felluga, Dino. Fleenor, Juliann E. Juliann E. Montreal: Eden Press, Heiland, Donna. Lewis Matthew, et al. Moers, Ellen. Posted Zofloya: Or the Moor Books ReviewsEssays Tags: academiccharlotte Zofloya: Or the MoorcritiqueDacreessayfemalefeministfictiongothicgothic fictionliteraturenovelpaperreviewromanticromantic eratransgressivevictoriazofloyazofloya; or the moor. Zara said this Zofloya: Or the Moor January 26, at pm Reply. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Email Address:. Create a free website or blog at WordPress. She's a happy-go-lucky scamp! The reviews, rants and musings of a girl who likes things. Radcliffe, Ann. The Zofloya: Or the Moor. Robert Miles. 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