Island Beneath the Sea

Zarité Sedella, also known as Tété, is the novel’s protagonist. Born to an enslaved African woman who was impregnated by a European enslaver, Tété grows up in a society where slavery is the norm. Nonetheless, she cherishes the thought of freedom from a young age, as her childhood attempts to run away from Madame Delphine indicate. Her experiences intimately reflect the theme of Violence as a Result of Imbalanced Power Dynamics, with her rich internal monologues often marking the extent of the damage caused by the injustice and cruelty of those hoarding power. As lady’s maid to Eugenia, Tété reveals herself to be a quick learner with a sensitive heart, as she comes to genuinely care for Eugenia, as well as her son, Maurice. Early on, Dr. Parmentier is impressed with Tété, noting that the young woman “radiated a powerful energy” (86). Tété also quickly gains the trust of Valmorain. Through years of sexual abuse and other hardships, Tété never loses sight of her goal: freedom for herself and her children. Unwilling to take the former without the latter, which indicates her role in the theme of The Responsibilities of Parenthood, Tété gives up the most passionate relationship of her life.