Francine Character Analysis in Voyage in the Dark

Francine is a young woman who frequently appears in Anna’s fond memories of her upbringing in the West Indies. Anna always felt very connected to Francine, who worked as a housekeeper for her family. Her bond with Francine is possibly one of the reasons Anna always wanted to be Black, since Francine herself is Black. At the same time, Anna sometimes wondered if Francine resented her because she came from a white, affluent family that settled down in the West Indies. The fact that Anna thinks about Francine so often underscores not just her intense longing for home, but also her fetishization of Blackness.

Francine Character Timeline in Voyage in the Dark

The timeline below shows where the character Francine appears in Voyage in the Dark. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Homesickness, Memory, and Belonging Theme Icon

...feverish state, she thinks about her home in the West Indies, missing her family’s housekeeper, Francine. Francine is Black, and when Anna was growing up, she always wished she were Black,... (full context)

...the n-word). But it was no use, Hester says, since Anna always spoke just like Francine. To add to this, Hester resents that she’s the one held responsible for the fact... (full context)

After leaving Hester’s boardinghouse, Anna thinks about Francine. Whenever she spent time with her, she always felt happy. She now remembers Francine eating... (full context)