Zofloya tells the story of the spoiled, malicious, and vengeful Victoria, who is led by a dark-skinned Moor named Zofloya to commit numerous crimes. As in many Gothic tales, the subconscious plays a central role in this text. Dreams are moments of revelation that "influence one's waking life and reveal an inner psychical or spiritual awakening." Victoria's sexual desire for the Moor, who at the story's conclusion reveals his true identity as Satan, is one of the secrets hidden in the subconscious.

XREF: Connects to broader Gothic literature conventions and psychoanalytic readings of 19th-century fiction.

Sophia Rose Arjana, Muslims in the Western Imag…, loc. 492