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Teresa "Resa" Folchart is the mother of Meggie and Dante Folchart, and the wife of Mo Folchart. She was accidentally read into Inkheart and lived there working as a scribe and was absent during most of Meggie's youth there. Eventually, Mortola discovered her and, that being the law, was allowed to keep her as a slave. Later, she was read back into the real world by Darius, who was, at the time, being forced to work for Capricorn. She later reunited with her family.

Biography[]

Being read into a different world[]

One day when Mo returned with yet another crate of books, Inkheart was among them. Since Resa loved tales of adventure, for that night she chose Inkheart. The couple enjoyed the story, since it was exciting, well written, and full of amazing creatures. Mo had just begun reading the seventh chapter when Basta, Dustfinger, and Capricorn appeared, standing in the doorway to the corridor outside the room. Resa went missing, along with the two cats they owned who were curled on their laps like they did each evening Mo read aloud. Mo came to the conclusion that Resa and the cats went in the Inkworld whereas Basta, Dustfinger and Capricorn went out.

Working as a scribe[]

Resa disguised herself as a man and worked as a scribe, but Mortola, Capricorn's mother, discovered her guise. According to the laws of the Inkworld, Resa was liable to become Mortola's slave. During her time of servitude, her blonde hair darkened.

Returning to her world[]

At some point, Capricorn found himself a reader, Darius. But though Darius was a Silvertongue, his reading was faulty, and he stumbled as he read, resulting in many disfigurations in the servants Darius brought out for Capricorn. Because of his tendency to stumble while reading, he was nicknamed ‘Stumbletongue’ by Basta. Resa returned back to her world six years prior to Dustfinger's re-approachment to Mo, but due to Darius' stumbles she lost her voice along the way.

Resa was a maid in Capricorn's village, having been read out of Inkheart five years previously. She has tried to escape numerous times. Her previously pale blonde hair has turned dark blonde in the presence of evil. Resa is Capricorn's favorite maid and is allowed to dress him and bring him his breakfast. Resa made friends with Dustfinger during her time as a servant, teaching him to read and helping him on his quest to return home. Dustfinger develops romantic feelings towards her, but it is unclear as to whether or not Resa returns them.[2]

For six years, after Darius read her out of Inkheart, Resa had no voice and communicated with others by writing. Resa is characterized by her love of colored candles, smooth stones, and telling stories that her husband, Mo, read her.[3]

She is a great artist. She had a drawing of Mo (husband) and Meggie (daughter) and kept it with her for nine years.[4]

Reuniting with her family[]

Resa was sentenced to execution by the Shadow for the crime of trying to help Dustfinger, a traitor to Capricorn. Resa is saved by the combined efforts of Fenoglio, Meggie, Farid, and Mo, and goes to her aunt Elinor's to live with her family.[5]

Resa went living at Elinor's house with Mo and Meggie, her husband and daughter. Resa tells many stories about the Inkworld to a fascinated Meggie, a point that bothers Mo, who think it is dangerous to become interested in such things.[6]

Later, Mortola forces Resa and Mo back into the Inkworld, and then shoots Mo. Resa regains her voice immediately after the shooting, and then sets out to save her husband's life with the help of Nettle. Once Mo gets better and starts assuming the role of his fictional double, the Bluejay, Resa becomes fearful for his and their family's lives. She tries to contact Orpheus to get them back into the real world, but fails.[7]

It was revealed that Resa was pregnant. Resa's strength as a main character increases significantly in Inkdeath, and therefore, she plays a substantial role. Her main activities consist of taking care of her (also newly weakened) daughter, Meggie, providing support and friendship to Roxane after Dustfinger's death, and serving as a central interest of all of Mo's actions. Near to the end of the book, she also goes to aid Mo in his quest to stop the Adderhead. Unfortunately, to begin with she plays no substantial role, relying on the Strong Man to protect her. However, on the way to the castle she finds Mortola dead in the forest, along with the bag of poppy-like seeds which Mortola used to turn into a magpie. She then begins to aid Mo by infiltrating the palace of the Adderhead as a swift (a type of bird), and eventually plays an important role in stopping the Piper from killing Mo, allowing Mo to kill him instead.[8]

Resa gave birth to a son and settles down in the Inkworld to live a peaceful life with her husband,( who returned to his trade as a bookbinder) and Meggie.[9]

Characteristics[]

Personality[]

She always did like tales of adventure-stories full of brightness and darkness. She could tell you the names of all King Arthur's knights, and she knew everything about Beowulf and Grendel, the ancient gods and the not-quite-so-ancient heroes. She liked pirate stories, too, but most of all she loved books that had at least a knight or a dragon or a fairy in them. She was always on the dragon's side, by the way. There didn't seem to be any of them in Inkheart, but there was any amount of brightness and darkness, fairies and goblins. Your mother liked goblins as well: hobgoblins, bugaboos, the Fenoderee, the folletti with their butterfly wings, she knew them all.
 
Mo about Resa, Inkheart, Ch. 16 - Once Upon a Time

Resa has a love of colored candles, smooth stones, which she keeps in her pockets. She enjoyed having her husband read to her, and her favorite tales were those of adventure, stories full of brightness and darkness. She knew a lot about books. She was fond of pirate stories too, but most of all Resa loved fantasy books with amazing creatures like a dragon or a knight, in which she would root for the dragon. Resa is easily amused.

Physical attributes[]

Resa looks a lot like Meggie, or it should be the other way around that Meggie looks a lot like her mother, with blue eyes and blonde hair; though Resa's hair darkened during her years of slavery to Mortola, the Magpie. This is first mentioned by Farid, a boy who was read out of his own story by Mo.

Behind the scenes[]

  • Resa's full name was not often used, in fact, it was only ever mentioned and used in Inkheart, during which it was spelled as Teresa. However, in both character description sections of Inkspell and Inkdeath, her full name was spelled as Theresa.

References[]

  1. Inkheart, Ch. 33 - Capricorn's Maid: "They both have blue eyes"
  2. Inkheart, Ch. needing specification
  3. Inkheart, Ch. needing specification
  4. Inkheart, Ch. needing specification
  5. Inkheart, Ch. needing specification
  6. Inkspell, Ch. needing specification
  7. Inkspell, Ch. needing specification
  8. Inkdeath
  9. Inkdeath, Ch. 81 - Later
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