User:AVIDBick/Atala (novella)

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The work, at least partially inspired by his travels in North America, reflects the eighteenth-century French Romanticism and exoticism of its time and went through five editions in its first year.

In the prologue, Chateaubriand describes the territorial landscape of former French held North America and presents the backstory of Chactas as a transition into the novel and its frame story, handing off the story's narration to Chactas.

Themes
In the prologue, Chateaubriand starts the novella with a vividly detailed description of the natural environment of formerly French North America more than two pages long. The expanse of wilderness is potrayed as empty and its nature as an Eden, referring to the biblical Garden of Eden. Throughout the text, this image of the New World as empty wilderness is also used to overlook the presence of indigenous peoples.

Characters (in order of appearance)

 * Chactas: Natchez Native American who serves as the main character and narrator for the whole story minus the prologue
 * René: Frenchman that was accepted into the Natchez tribe/nation and adopted as a son by Chactas
 * Celuta: Native American wife of René
 * Outalissi: The father of Chactas
 * Lopez: Spanish man who sheltered Chactas in St. Augustine and biological father of Atala; also referred to as Philip
 * Simaghan: The head of the group of Muscogee and Seminole natives who captured Chactas after leaving St. Augustine and adopted father of Atala
 * Miscou: The Grandfather of Chactas and father of Outalissi
 * Atala: Love of Chactas, biological daughter of Lopez, adopted daughter of Simaghan; serves as secondary main character
 * The Hermit: Christian priest and missionary who lives in a cave and small Mission village in the mountains; also referred to as Father Aubry