Stardust

by

Neil Gaiman

The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una Character Analysis

The faerie woman with cat-shaped ears and lavender eyes is, unbeknownst to most, Lady Una of Stormhold, the eighty-first lord of Stormhold’s first child and only daughter. But Madame Semele enslaved her by binding her with a silver chain, and Lady Una has spent decades enslaved and working Madame Semele’s flower stall by the time she meets Dunstan at the Faerie market. After having sex with Dunstan, Lady Una has Tristran, who is pushed through the gap in the wall to be raised by Dunstan and Daisy. Following this, Lady Semele turns Lady Una into a brightly-colored tropical bird unless she needs her in her human form to work the market stall. When Yvaine falls in love with Tristran—and when Victoria and Mr. Monday plan to marry—Lady Una is freed from her enslavement and returns to the Stormhold to rule as regent until Tristran is ready to assume his role as the Lord of Stormhold.

The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una Quotes in Stardust

The Stardust quotes below are all either spoken by The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una or refer to The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Youth, Aging, and Maturity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 8 Quotes

The exotic bird hopped up beside her and it chirruped, once, curiously.

“Of course I have kept my word—to the letter,” said the old woman, as if in reply. “He shall be transformed back at the market meadow, so shall regain his own form before he comes to Wall. [...] And I do believe that bumpkin’s flower was even finer than the one you lost to me, all those years ago.”

Related Characters: The Old Woman/Madame Semele (speaker), Tristran Thorn, Dunstan Thorn, The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una
Page Number: 194-195
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“What have you done?” Spittle flecked the old woman’s lips.

“I have done nothing; nothing I did not do eighteen years ago. I was bound to you to be your slave until the day that the moon lost her daughter, if it occurred in a week when two Mondays came together. And my time with you is almost done.”

Related Characters: The Old Woman/Madame Semele (speaker), The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una (speaker), Tristran Thorn, The Star/Yvaine, Victoria Forester, Dunstan Thorn, Mr. Monday
Related Symbols: Silver Chains/the Power of Stormhold
Page Number: 229
Explanation and Analysis:

“And if it does not suit you, you may leave, you know. There is no silver chain that will be holding you to the throne of Stormhold.”

And Tristran found this quite reassuring. Yvaine was less impressed, for she knew that silver chains come in all shapes and sizes; but she also knew that it would not be wise to begin her life with Tristran by arguing with his mother.

Related Characters: The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una (speaker), Tristran Thorn, The Star/Yvaine, The Old Woman/Madame Semele
Related Symbols: Silver Chains/the Power of Stormhold
Page Number: 238
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una Quotes in Stardust

The Stardust quotes below are all either spoken by The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una or refer to The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Youth, Aging, and Maturity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 8 Quotes

The exotic bird hopped up beside her and it chirruped, once, curiously.

“Of course I have kept my word—to the letter,” said the old woman, as if in reply. “He shall be transformed back at the market meadow, so shall regain his own form before he comes to Wall. [...] And I do believe that bumpkin’s flower was even finer than the one you lost to me, all those years ago.”

Related Characters: The Old Woman/Madame Semele (speaker), Tristran Thorn, Dunstan Thorn, The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una
Page Number: 194-195
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

“What have you done?” Spittle flecked the old woman’s lips.

“I have done nothing; nothing I did not do eighteen years ago. I was bound to you to be your slave until the day that the moon lost her daughter, if it occurred in a week when two Mondays came together. And my time with you is almost done.”

Related Characters: The Old Woman/Madame Semele (speaker), The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una (speaker), Tristran Thorn, The Star/Yvaine, Victoria Forester, Dunstan Thorn, Mr. Monday
Related Symbols: Silver Chains/the Power of Stormhold
Page Number: 229
Explanation and Analysis:

“And if it does not suit you, you may leave, you know. There is no silver chain that will be holding you to the throne of Stormhold.”

And Tristran found this quite reassuring. Yvaine was less impressed, for she knew that silver chains come in all shapes and sizes; but she also knew that it would not be wise to begin her life with Tristran by arguing with his mother.

Related Characters: The Young Woman/the Bird/Lady Una (speaker), Tristran Thorn, The Star/Yvaine, The Old Woman/Madame Semele
Related Symbols: Silver Chains/the Power of Stormhold
Page Number: 238
Explanation and Analysis: