48 pages • 1 hour read
Charlotte DacreZofloya
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1806A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
In what ways are Victoria and Leonardo impacted differently by the dissolution of their family? What do these differences reveal about gender? Why is Leonardo willing to forgive their mother at the end of the novel, and why does Victoria refuse to do so?
What is the significance of Victoria being briefly imprisoned by the Signora di Modena? How does this episode reinforce or subvert tropes typically associated with the Gothic? Why is it important that Victoria easily escapes without assistance from anyone?
How does Berenza and Victoria’s relationship evolve over time? What does Berenza value in a partner, and why is he deceived by Victoria? Which of the two is manipulating the other?
To what degree is Zofloya responsible for Victoria’s violence and for her tragic fate? To what degree does Victoria exercise agency in her own choices?
Dacre boldly depicts women who actively experience sexual desire and pursue pleasure: Laurina, Victoria, Megalena, and the Signora Zappi all pursue the men they desire. How do these female characters embody or subvert the trope of the male seducer? Why is it significant that many of them become violent or manipulative under the influence of sexual desire?
Many early readers of the novel perceived Victoria and Zofloya as engaged in an interracial relationship. Is Victoria initially romantically or sexually attracted to Zofloya? How does their dynamic shift over time? Is Zofloya’s identity in the novel defined by his race, his social position, or a combination of the two?
How does the third-person narration contribute to the overall effect of the novel? What would be gained or lost if the novel was narrated by Victoria?
Despite her recklessness and impulsivity, Victoria is very afraid of being convicted of her crimes. How does Zofloya exploit this fear to his advantage? Why is it ironic that Victoria fears being jailed or executed?
The novel ends with an explicit warning that “over their passions and their weaknesses, mortals cannot keep a curb too strong” (254). Is this moral message central to the novel, or does it function primarily as a cover for less socially accepted goals? What are these goals?
