Alicia's Diary

Alicia’s Diary
Swagata, Zawaad, Shreya, Humayra

Genre
• Victorian
• Romance
theme
• Deceit: Caroline was deceived by both her fiancé and sister whom she
dearly loved.
• Sacrifice: Alicia sacrificed her happiness of being with Charles for the
sake of her sister Caroline, who was engaged with Charles.
• Love: Alicia loved both Charles and Caroline in different ways.
However in the end, she chose her love for her sister over her love for
Charles.
• Karma: If one does anything bad to someone, it comes back at them as
everyone that deceived Caroline paid some price, Charles by death,
Alicia by loss of a loved one and
Critics’ point of view
• This short story is wonderfully written with in depth character
building and intriguing plot. The readers could not guess what would
happen next. Moreover, the story was realistic and depicted the nature
of Victorian society where love and marriage played a very crucial
role in a woman’s well being.
SETTINGS
• England
• Paris
plot
• The story Alicia’s Diary is about Alicia, her sister and Charles, who was her sister
Caroline’s fiancé. Alicia’s sister, Caroline, and their mother had gone to France, and
eventually Alicia's suspicions were confirmed that Caroline had become engaged to an
artist named Charles who kept postponing their wedding. Alicia's mother suddenly had
died and due to her death and the coldness and procrastination of Charles to her, Caroline
was in her deathbed. As Charles visits Caroline’s estate, he and Alicia falls in love with
each other, but Alicia makes a deal that either Charles will marry Caroline and if she dies,
Alicia will be free to marry him or if Caroline lives and does not want to marry Charles
(after they tell her it wasn't a legitimate wedding), Alicia is free to marry Charles.
However as Caroline agrees to marry Charles, Alicia must sacrifice her love for Charles
and yield to her sister marrying Charles. They get married and Caroline lives on. Shortly
following the wedding, Charles leaves and does not return. Four months later, Alicia
informs us that Charles drowned himself. Five years later, Caroline marries the man who
had read the pretended marriage of Caroline and Charles. Alicia ends her diary by saying,
Caroline was deceived by almost everyone, yet somehow they all repented by the end.
Characters
• Alicia: Alicia is the protagonist of the story. The young woman tends
to over-protect her younger sister Caroline, what is more she often
mentions that she is more of a mother to Caroline than their mother.
Her love is so immeasurable that she sacrifices her own happiness for
Caroline’s sake.
• Caroline: Caroline is Alicia’s younger sister. She is infatuated with
Charles and that unhealthy obsession leads to a terrible illness.
• M. Charles de la Feste: M. Charles de la Feste is a painter and
Caroline’s betrothed.
Conflict
• Alicia’s dilemma while choosing between her and her sister’s
happiness.
climax
• Alicia and Charles’s conversation regarding the future of their
relationship at the hotel Riva degli Schiavoni. Alicia ends up
requesting Charles to beg forgiveness from her sister and to ask
Caroline’s hand in marriage.
symbol
• Diary: It was the symbol for the secrets being kept. It was the only way Alicia’s
thoughts were fully being exposed without her being restricted by the guilt towards
her sister.
• Marriage: In the story, marriage was the symbol of unhappiness. Charles kept
postponing his marriage with Caroline for the sake of his happiness and Caroline’s.
However upon marrying her, Charles ended up taking his own life, leaving Alicia
and Caroline heartbroken over the man they loved.
• Venice: The word which “Venice speaks more constantly” is “decay” and it is only
“accentuated here” in “the Church of the Frari.” It seems that everything is sinking
“into an earth” which is “not solid enough to bear it. Alicia feels like sinking too, for
she has to sacrifice her own happiness for her beloved sister’s sake. She pays the
high price and that is the love of her life. Alicia and Charles’ love could bloom in
full force, but now it is doomed to decay.
moral
• Love can not be achieved by deceit.
• Happiness can not be forced upon someone
summary
• In the story Alicia’s diary, the author tells us about Love, Deceit and
Sacrifice through two sisters Alicia and Caroline and a man that they
both love, Charles.
• The story starts off with a peaceful beginning but ends up with a
tragedy showing us the weight of the choices we make and how
happiness can never be forced upon someone.

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Alicia’s Diary

Swagata, Zawaad, Shreya, Humayra

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