A servant employed by Orlando whom the narrator describes as a “Blackamoor,” a derogatory term used around the 16th century to describe North Africans who were typically used by wealthy Europeans as slaves or (lowly) paid servants. The woman was given the name Grace Robinson to make “a Christian woman of her,” which implies that Grace’s identity as a North African means that white people see her as savage and exotic. This racist assumption is also reflected in the attic of Orlando’s house as he swings his sword at the severed head of a Moor handing from the rafters. Grace Robinson, like Mrs. Grimsditch and Mr. Dupper, was an actual servant at Knole, the family estate of Vita Sackville-West, who serves as the inspiration for Orlando.
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Grace Robinson Character Timeline in Orlando
The timeline below shows where the character Grace Robinson appears in Orlando. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...Orlando’s servants hold “him in high respect,” even the “Blackamoor,” who was given the name Grace Robinson to make a “Christian woman of her.”
(full context)
