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.
Symbols & Motifs
Berenza's Blood
After Berenza collapses due to consuming poison, the household hastily summons a doctor. When the doctor arrives, he attempts to draw blood from Berenza, and the blood accidentally spatters Victoria’s face. The blood symbolizes Victoria’s guilt and the inevitability of its consequences. Victoria kills Berenza in an indirect and bloodless fashion by administering poison over a long period of time, but his blood still splatters her face as if she had used a knife or sword to kill him. Bloodstains can implicate the guilty party in a crime or make it harder to evade detection. While the onlookers see it as merely a coincidence that Victoria ends up splattered with the blood of her newly deceased husband, the blood symbolically reveals that she is the one who killed him. Even though Victoria longed for Berenza’s death, the aftermath of this event does not provide her with any satisfaction: Henriquez still rejects her, and she is now haunted by the fear of what will happen if her crime is ever uncovered. The blood also symbolizes that Victoria is now indelibly committed to a path of violence: She will become increasingly desperate as she participates in the deaths of others.
Prophetic Dreams
Throughout the novel, Victoria repeatedly experiences prophetic dreams that reveal information, influence her behavior, or foreshadow events to come. She first becomes intrigued by Zofloya after she has a series of dreams in which he appears, and in which she sees visions that imply he can help her obtain her desire of being with Henriquez. Later, Victoria has prophetic dreams predicting that Berenza’s corpse will reveal that he died by poisoning and that Berenza’s body will be found (implicating her in the crime). All of these dreams allow Zofloya to manipulate her more effectively; the dreams are an early manifestation of Zofloya’s supernatural powers and his efforts to tempt Victoria. The motif of prophetic dreams connects the idea of temptation to the idea of the subconscious and individual psychology. The dreams are dangerous because they appear to surface within the world of Victoria’s own mind, and they prey on her existing desires and fears. As a result, the motif of dreams effectively supports Dacre’s claim—as voiced by Satan—that “the progress of vice is gradual and imperceptible” (254). Zofloya explains that he targeted Victoria for a satanic seduction because her pre-existing desires made her vulnerable, and the dreams reveal how he exploits her.
Interestingly, Victoria does not always seem capable of accurately interpreting the prophetic dreams. Her first dream vision predicts the death of Berenza and the collapse of the relationship between Lilla and Henriquez (both of which come true), but it also foreshadows that Henriquez will die. Victoria interprets “Henriquez, changing to a skeleton [to be] emblematic only […] that he would be hers till death” (147). The power of the prophetic dreams in luring Victoria into temptation only works because she stubbornly pursues whatever she wants and refuses to consider the consequences. While external temptation (in the form of Zofloya sending her these dreams) plays a role in Victoria making the decisions that will eventually damn her, her own lack of critical thinking also contributes.
The Diamond
After Zofloya agrees to have Lilla imprisoned, Victoria is very pleased and tries to give him a valuable diamond as a reward. Zofloya declines, telling her that “the riches of the world are valueless to me—my aim is higher” (201). The diamond symbolizes Victoria’s short-term and impulsive thinking, which makes her unable to prioritize and assign value correctly. Victoria wants to hurt Lilla because of her anger and jealousy, and she assumes that Zofloya wants to help her—a wealthy aristocrat—to gain material advantage for himself. By offering Zofloya the diamond, Victoria imagines that she is rewarding him for his service and cementing her power over him. Victoria fails to recognize that Zofloya is far more powerful and cunning and is manipulating the entire situation to his advantage. He does not need human wealth, and something that would convey status means nothing to him. The diamond is ironic because it ends up being implicitly contrasted with something Zofloya does want: Victoria’s soul. Victoria freely offers him something that she perceives as valuable, but she is not aware that he is setting the stage to gain possession of her soul and ensure that she is damned for eternity. Victoria has been wealthy her entire life, and this has given her the impression that she can have whatever she wants. She underestimates Zofloya’s power because she perceives him as someone who possesses less wealth, and therefore someone whom she can manipulate.
