Barbara is a former performer employed by Max, now a married woman and the owner of her own Tailoring Shop.
Compiled Overview[]
Little is known about Barbara. Barbara was a performer employed by Max who performed in his shows. While working under Max, Barbara met and befriended Violetta, becoming her best friend according to Pip.
After Violetta was bought by the "Hullabaloo" Circus, Barbara would write her a letter. In the letter, Barbara expressed surprise that Violetta was accepted by the circus, as she didn't expect anyone to accept Violetta besides them. She also expressed concern for Violetta's joints, as they get rusty in the winter. She also says how lucky Violetta was to find a mechanic who could fix her mechanical limbs, describing them as "ugly and horrifying." Barbara went on to talk about how they are no longer in financial trouble after Violetta left them, even talking about how good the wine Max bought them was. Barbara ended the letter by complaining about being the highlight of the New Year's show and how annoying it was.[1]
Eventually, after Pip told the address and location of Barbara to the author of Violetta's Investigation Field Note, Barbara was visited by them for Investigation Field Notes regarding Violetta. She learned that she was married to a husband and owned her own shop named “Barbara’s Tailor Shop” in the city. She wasn’t wealthy, but lived a stable life with her husband there. When the author explained their reasons for visiting, Barbara handed them a letter from Violetta from when she was at the “Hullabaloo” Circus, which would’ve become her first and last letter to Barbara. From this letter, Violetta’s mobility improved so she could write. When asked whether she sent a reply letter, she nodded, telling mostly how they were doing, nothing special. There was something strange about Violetta's letter. She mentioned that her new performance was quite popular, and she was eager to share her joy with an old friend, oddly though, she stopped replying, despite the allegedly numerous letters sent by Barbara, she never received another letter from Violetta.[2]
Alternate Theories and Conclusions[]
- Based on the tone of the letter, it could be implied that Barbara was bitter at Violetta for leaving them and wanted to make it seem like things were going great without her there.
- Her behavior in the Investigation Field Notes about Violetta seems to imply to her the performance was insignificant as she forgot about it, her bringing it up to Violetta may further have attempted to hurt her.
- Her microaggressive comments towards Violetta might’ve been a sign of jealousy, Violetta noted in Christmas Nocturne that some performers were jealous of her, and vice versa she was jealous of them. The possibility of a complicated relationship between the two is possible.
- Barbara owning a Tailoring Shop, Violetta having talent in weaving, and Merrick using a knitting needle to harm Max might mean that weaving was a commonly taught trick for the Amazing Cabin performers.
Mentions[]
Letters[]
- Violetta's Character Day Letters (2021 & 2025)