"Her sobs were the only sound; she did not groan, nor give any other utterance to her distress. It was all involuntary." (Hawthorne, 223)
For me, Zenobia was the most interesting character in The Blithedale Romance. When we first meet her, she seems to be a lively and vital woman who is essential to the community. Her great spirit and welcoming nature is what brings everyone together on that first night. As we get further into the novel, however, it becomes less clear whether Zenobia's strong personality and colorful appearance is a blessing or a curse. We learn that she was born into wealth and has lead a life that, if not well chronicled, seems to have been full of adventure. It's when we read about her interactions with men that the veneer begins to crack. First with Westervelt, who seems to be someone with whom she has a history and is immune to the exoticism that enraptures other men upon first meeting her. Then, for reasons unknown to the reader, she forms a connection with Hollingsworth. She retains her strong personality, but seems to have met her match in a way. In my opinion, her final undoing was when Hollingsworth chose Priscilla over her. He is the last in a string of men who have abandoned her. First was her father (who professed Priscilla was his favorite, but Zenobia wouldn't have known that), then Westervelt, whose only interest seemed to be in how she could help him make money, and then Hollingsworth, in whom she saw the opportunity to finally settle down. She had fought all her life to maintain her essence as a lively, vivacious woman, and has been shot down at every turn. The men of the time simply didn't want that in a wife. They wanted someone like Priscilla, who would serve, obey and adore them. Zenobia's outward appearance belied the fact that she wanted to be loved as much as the next person. When it is denied yet again by Hollingsworth, the years of grief break free uncontrollably. It is then that she decides that she can't go on living only to be disappointed yet again. She is like the exotic flowers that she always wore in her hair - admired for her beauty, but unable to survive in the environment in which she's been placed.
