Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… at Number 9 Thorndon Square, in the care of her aunt Alice, a world-famous opera singer and muse.
Living… in Italy, where she studies under the same voice coach who trained her Aunt, all while trying to forget the grisly detains of her Aunt’s untimely death.
Profession… aspiring singer and musician. However, when an admirer catches her eye in Italy, she puts her studies on hold to pursue a whirlwind romance.
Interests… singing, theater, and socializing. Paula is an outgoing and energetic young woman who enjoys seeing and experiencing the world. Raised by a world-class entertainer, Paula also shares a love for the performing arts.
Relationship Status… newly married to her Italian lover, composer and pianist Gregory Anton, whom she met while studying music. The two are love-struck immediately, and quickly commit to one another.
Challenge… keeping her head on her shoulders. As Paula begins her new life with Anton, she begins to experience strange hallucinations and lapses in memory that cause her to doubt her competence. Being cooped up all day in her house certainly doesn’t help the situation. She worries that she may be losing her mind, and depends heavily on Anton to help keep her wits about her. She loves to go out and explore the city, but when she starts to feel like she is losing her grip on reality, she heeds the strong advice of Anton to remain indoors in order to avoid embarrassing herself in public. This makes her feel trapped and uneasy, but startling evidence of her declining sanity scare her into remaining sequestered in her home.
Personality… timid and doubtful. Scarred by the traumatic events surrounding her aunt’s death, Paula is emotionally unstable and has a difficult time coping with the memories of her past. As a result, Paula is fairly reserved and unsure of herself, taking lots of direction and advice from Anton.
Get to Know her in...
-
In the late 19th century, Paula Alquist is studying music in Italy, but ends up abandoning her classes because she's fallen in love with the gallant Gregory Anton. The couple marries and moves to England to live in a home inherited by Paula from her aunt, herself a famous singer, who was mysteriously murdered in the house ten years before. Once they have moved in, Gregory, who is in reality a jewel thief and the murderer of Paula's aunt, launches a campaign of terror designed to drive his new bride insane. Though Paula is certain that she sees the house's gaslights dim every evening and that there are strange noises coming from the attic, Gregory convinces Paula that she's imagining things. Gregory's efforts to make Paula unstable are aided by an impertinent maid, Nancy. Meanwhile, a Scotland Yard inspector, Brian Cameron, becomes suspicious of Gregory and sympathetic to Paula's plight.
