Odette de Rousseau

Ariana Liceaga

Ariana plays Odette de Rousseau, a young aristocrat raised to be just as arrogant and selfish has her powerful parents.

The following is Odette's story, written by Ariana:

As far as material needs go, Odette never lacked anything. She was educated at home by a private tutor and she grew up raised by nannies and nurses. not only was she given everything she could ever want, she always had people to do things for her.

But Odette was emotionally starved. She rarely saw her parents and her relational needs were replaced with toys, dresses, books etc. Ever since she was little, she had always adored her father and desperately wanted his attention but always felt pushed away to some extent, which only increased through the years.  She saw how her parents treated their servants and the peasants, and she gradually came to understand that was normal and how it should be. She never questioned her father in his abuse towards the servants. She had a deep respect for him and believed he knew what he was doing.

Odette grew entitled and hardened towards others because of her upbringing and looked for satisfaction in material things. She never completely felt fulfilled and always wanted more. She became quite shallow and self-absorbed. She was never exposed much to the lower class and lived a fairly sheltered life in her home. The rare occasion when she did see the peasants, she was taught to avoid contact with them as they were far below their standard.  So she saw everyone below her rank as worthless and not worthy of her thoughts or time.

Odette never had many playmates so she enjoyed reading, embroidery, and riding to pass the time. She loved being outdoors, especially in the garden. As she got older she developed a relationship with and earned adoration from her mother.

 As she entered her teen years she lacked self-confidence to some extent and being in control and degrading the servants gave her the sense of power she desired. Odette never really learned how to be empathetic towards others, the world had always revolved around her. That’s all she knew.

Odette adored parties as it was an opportunity to not only show off her beauty and status, but also to catch the eye of a potential suitor. She was quite a flirt and enjoyed toying with the emotions of the young men she encountered as she thought the thrill and attention entertaining.  Marie Antoinette was her idol, she worshiped the ground she walked on and loved the idea of the lavish lifestyle she lived. As Odette grew older, finding a suitable husband became her sole purpose. She couldn’t wait to have her own household, servants, and a man who adored her.

Odette grew into a close relationship with her grandmother who made an effort to come see her when she was growing up. What little sympathy and kindness she has was instilled in her from what her grandmother had taught her. She has always been tender and loyal towards her family.