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. The young man, a soldier named Gambo, later dies in the war.

Tété’s character growth centers on her gradually increasing ability to stand up for herself, particularly to Valmorain. Somewhat timid at first, Tété takes bold action to protect her children when Saint-Lazare comes under threat from the Maroons and again when the city of Le Cap is overrun. Her confidence continues to grow when, after securing her freedom, she finds professional success. Still, her hatred and fear of Valmorain remain a burden to her until, now elderly and ailing, Valmorain begs her to take care of him. She refuses and simultaneously lays her hatred of the man to rest. By the novel’s end, Tété is confident both in her relationships and her sense of self. Dr. Parmentier notes that she has a “great reserve of sensuality” and that “being emancipated had […] liberated that aspect of her character” (350). Her arc, completed over decades, indicates the value of persistence in overcoming obstacles.

Toulouse Valmorain is the French enslaver who claims ownership of Tété, making him the novel’s primary antagonist. As a young man, Valmorain thinks of himself “as a man of letters” (6) and plans to return to France to continue his studies at the earliest opportunity. Exposed to the brutality of life in Saint-Domingue, Valmorain eventually comes to accept and embrace slavery as a necessity and part of the natural order, though he fancies himself to be one of the more humane planters. Outwardly rational and atheistic, Valmorain nevertheless turns to religion and mystical treatments during difficult moments of his life, a symptom of the cowardice that also grips him in moments of crisis such as the siege at Le Cap. Arrogant and prideful, Valmorain remains almost completely oblivious to the feelings of those he hurts, particularly Tété, though he does demonstrate some reflectiveness about his actions late in life.

For most of the novel, Valmorain remains a stubbornly static character. Upon moving to Louisiana, he expresses some desire to change. However, apart from appointing a more sensitive overseer than he had in Saint-Domingue, nothing really changes. While Valmorain does experience feelings of guilt and self-doubt from time to time, he suppresses those feelings and continues to make racist judgments. That he vouches for slavery well into his old age ultimately costs him his relationship with his son; his actions as a father often make him a foil to Tété in The Responsibilities of Parenthood. Later, Valmorain does express some remorse and a desire to help Maurice and Rosette’s son, though it is unclear which of his actions, if any, he regrets, or how deeply. Overall, Valmorain exemplifies not the most cruel and sadistic of enslavers. Rather, he is among those who, despite knowing better, were too afraid to confront their self-awareness, instead burying it under a mountain of justifications and rationalizations.

Maurice is the son of Eugenia and Toulouse Valmorain. As a child, he clings to Tété, whom he considers to be his mother. Following the birth of Rosette, Maurice then hardly leaves her side. Inquisitive and sensitive, Maurice is deeply empathetic regarding the plight of enslaved persons. His conviction that slavery is wrong only grows as he ages, as does his love for Rosette. His absolute commitment to his beliefs demonstrate an extreme in the theme of Idealism Versus Pragmatism. Upon reaching adulthood, Maurice announces his intention to marry Rosette, knowing full well that she is his half-sibling, a predicament he blames on Valmorain. Maurice also plans to work for the abolition of slavery. Following Rosette’s death, however, Maurice loses much of his ambition, falling into wandering aimlessly. Maurice is a foil character to Valmorain, different from his father in almost every way.

Named after Tante Rose, Rosette is Tété’s second child with Valmorain. Bright, attractive, and precocious, Rosette wins many admirers, including Maurice. Her charms only increase as she ages, as does her bond with Maurice, with whom she exchanges letters frequently during their nine years of separation. Due to her charms, Rosette enjoys a more privileged upbringing than someone of her background typically would, which leaves her naïve when it comes to pervasive racism. Accordingly, Rosette’s instinctive retaliation against Hortense lands her in jail. In the damp jail cell, she contracts a sickness that, coupled with the stress of giving birth, takes her life. Rosette’s tragic end signifies the institutionalized side of Violence as a Result of Imbalanced Power Dynamics, marking the inescapability of race-based hierarchies governing social life at the time.

Violette Boisier is a courtesan from Le Cap. Renowned for her mastery of the sensual arts, Violette is a kind, sensible affranchie woman whose grandmother was an enslaved Senegalese woman. Violette eventually leaves her profession to marry Étienne Relais, a French soldier. Unable to conceive children of their own, Violette and her husband adopt Tété’s first child, Jean-Martin, giving him a loving home and strong upbringing. More practical than idealistic, Violette notably founds the Yellow House, a finishing school for girls designed to help them enter into plaçage.

A free person of color, Prosper Cambray is the overseer at Saint-Lazare, where he manages the enslaved people who work in the fields. Prior to becoming Valmorain’s overseer, Cambray spent three years catching fugitives from slavery, a subject on which he remains an expert. Cruel, sadistic, and ambitious, Cambray constantly tests Valmorain’s authority while taking out his anger on the enslaved people.

With a name that means “warrior” in his native African language, Gambo is just 14 years old when he arrives at Saint-Lazare, already injured for trying to run away. As Tété’s first love interest, he leaves her behind to join the Maroons. Though he briefly reconnects with Tété to help her, Valmorain, and their children escape, he never sees her again and dies a war hero. Gambo can be considered a foil character to Zacharie, Tété’s other love interest.

Dr. Parmentier is a kind, sensitive, intelligent physician who is able to analyze the world with minimal prejudice. For instance, he readily admits that Tante Rose, the Voodoo priestess, is, in many ways, a superior healer. The doctor openly criticizes slavery and starts a family with Adèle, a free woman of color, though he keeps their relationship secret for a long time to avoid offending his clientele. Dr. Parmentier is a particular friend of Valmorain, who enjoys debating with him.

Antonio de Sedella, or Père Antoine, as he’s more commonly known, is a Catholic priest who lived in New Orleans. With his welcoming outlook and charitable habits, Père Antoine is widely respected, and he serves as a friend and confidant for Tété. This character is based on a historical figure by the same name.

Eugenia is Valmorain’s first wife and Maurice’s mother. Born and educated in Spain, she is living in Cuba when Valmorain meets and courts her. Upon arriving in Cuba, her mental health begins to decline, in keeping with her family history of dementia. She becomes particularly frightened of everything associated with Voodoo, which she correctly interprets as the stirrings of rebellion among the colony’s enslaved people.

Eugenia’s brother, Sancho, is a rowdy, charming bachelor who becomes lifelong friends with Valmorain. The two enter several joint business ventures, which are generally successful, though Sancho is not a particularly diligent worker. Sancho is also kind to Maurice and Rosette, and he helps Tété find work after she is emancipated. Though he doesn’t make a public point of it, he does come to dislike slavery.

Zacharie initially appears as the Intendant’s majordomo in Le Cap, where he befriends Tété while teaching her the nuances of running a household. Handsome and sophisticated, Zacharie is a foil character to Gambo. Both seek their freedom, but they go about it differently. Zacharie works through political maneuvering and behind-the-scenes intelligence, whereas Gambo charges headfirst into the revolution as a soldier. When Zacharie reconnects with Tété in New Orleans, the two begin a courtship that leads to marriage and multiple children. Though Zacharie is the victim of a brutal beating that leaves his face disfigured, he remains largely optimistic.

Étienne Relais is a French soldier who falls in love with and marries Violette, with whom he raises Jean-Martin. Motivated by a strong sense of duty and loyalty to France, Relais prefers dutifully following orders to giving commands or making plans. He resists any whiff of treason and agrees to prolong his career when the governor makes a special request. As a result, he ends up dying in battle. His death relates to the theme of Idealism Versus Pragmatism, showing that sometimes those who are most loyal to a cause or country are the ones who pay the highest price.

Loula is Violette’s powerful assistant who protects her and manages her customers. Though she is technically enslaved, Loula protects Violette out of friendship, not just duty. She rejects Violette’s offer to emancipate her, though Violette eventually emancipates her anyway. After Violette gives up sex work, Loula assists in her future enterprises as well, showing herself to be an astute investor.

Tante Rose (meaning “Aunt Rose”) is Tété’s godmother and mentor, a Voodoo priestess who trains Tété in matters related to medicine, childbirth, and more. Spared from working the fields due to a childhood accident, Tante Rose serves as a point of contact with the Maroons until she leaves Saint-Lazare to join the revolution. At Bois Cayman, Tante Rose is mounted by a Voodoo spirit of war, and she helps name the revolution’s early leaders.

Jean-Martin is Tété’s first child, taken from her at birth by Valmorain, who leaves him with Violette and Relais. His adopted parents raise him as their son. Like his adoptive father, Jean-Martin is profoundly dutiful, and he joins the French army despite Violette’s wishes to the contrary.

Owen and Leanne Murphy are an Irish couple who help run Valmorain’s plantation in New Orleans. As overseer, Owen seeks to establish a hospital and humane atmosphere for the enslaved people under his jurisdiction. In fact, Owen was dismissed from his prior position for refusing to beat a pregnant woman. Leanne assists as a midwife and in other capacities. Valmorain finds that production increases under the Murphys compared to Cambray, who can be considered a foil character to Owen. One reason for the Murphys’ kindness may be that, as a former indentured servant, Leanne knows what forced labor is like. Eventually, the Murphys leave to start their own farm in Canada, relying on their sons’ labor rather than slavery.