The Woman of Colour: A Tale is a 1808 novel by an anonymous author.
The story centers around Olivia Fairfield, the biracial daughter of a white Jamaican slaveowner. When her father dies, Olivia must move to England with her maid Dido and either marry her first cousin Augustus Merton, or become dependent on Augustus’s brother and his racist wife. As she navigates British society, she criticizes its hypocrisy in her narration and frequently speaks against slavery and racism. Eventually, Olivia finds that her new husband Augustus is hiding a secret, upending the the period's typical literary “marriage plot.”
The book was fairly successful when first published, but it was only recently brought back into public consciousness thanks to recent scholarship.
The Woman of Colour contains examples of:
- Book Smart: Olivia is highly literate, peppering her letters with quotes from Shakespeare and the Bible.
- Epistolary Novel: The book is divided into “packets” of letters, sent from Olivia to her former governess Mrs. Milbanke in Jamaica.
- First Guy Wins: Subverted with Mr. Honeywood, who Olivia meets on her way to London and who proposes to her after she loses Augustus. Though she likes Honeywood, Olivia rejects him, explaining that she considers herself a widow and doesn’t want another husband.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Upon losing Augustus to Angelina, Olivia writes “I glory in saying, that I prefer his happiness to my own.”
- Framing Device: A series of letters from Olivia Fairfield to her governess, compiled by an anonymous editor, who we hear from a few times throughout the book and again at the very end.
- Happiness in Slavery: “Happiness” might be pushing it, but while the book itself makes several arguments against slavery, the only enslaved character is the now-free servant Dido, who has this to say:Dido: Dido was never slave but to her dear own Missee, and she was proud of that!
- Innocent Bigot: The youngest George Merton, who calls Dido and Olivia “dirty” for their dark skin, but listens when Olivia explains otherwise and comes to question the more obvious abuses of slavery when Olivia tells him of them.
- Passive-Aggressive Kombat: A few times between Mrs. Merton and Olivia, most notably when Mrs. Merton serves Olivia rice for dinner.Mrs. Merton: Oh, I thought that Miss Fairfield––I understood that people of your––I thought that you almost lived upon rice. And so I ordered some to be got,––for my own part, I never tasted it in my life, I believe!
Olivia: I thank you for studying my palate, but I assure you there is no occasion; I eat just as you do, I believe: and though in Jamaica, our poor slaves (my brothers and sisters, smiling) are kept upon rice as their chief food; yet they would be glad to exchange it for a little of your nice wheaten bread here. - One-Steve Limit: Averted — three generations of Merton men are named George.
- On One Condition: Olivia’s father’s will requires her to marry her first cousin Augustus, thus bringing her to England and kicking off the plot.
- Proper Lady: Olivia is kind, charming, witty, and pious, as well as a dutiful wife and daughter.
- Regency England
- Spoiled Brat: Letitia Morton was this as a child.
- Undying Loyalty: Dido to her “Missee” Olivia.
