Eliza

Eliza is a main character from Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle (consisting of the novels Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World). Her last name is not revealed in a mysterious manner that suggests it may have some significance. Eliza is a native of Qwghlm who as a young girl is abducted into slavery by Barbary pirates. Years later she is sold off to the Grand Turk to be a part of his harem. She is kept in a virginal state, so ... more

Eliza is a main character from Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle (consisting of the novels Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World). Her last name is not revealed in a mysterious manner that suggests it may have some significance. Eliza is a native of Qwghlm who as a young girl is abducted into slavery by Barbary pirates. Years later she is sold off to the Grand Turk to be a part of his harem. She is kept in a virginal state, so that the Grand Turk might have a virgin slave girl with whom to celebrate the fall of Vienna. When the Turkish armies fail to take Vienna, the harem virgins are ordered put to death, but at the last moment Eliza is rescued by Jack Shaftoe, with whom she has many adventures across Europe. It is also theorized that Eliza is named in an oblique homage to Eliza Doolittle from George Bernard Shaw's classic work Pygmalion. Reasons to suggest this is for her humble origins (withstanding birthrights) as a common slave rising to the upper reaches of... less