Previous Next

The novel’s antagonist, Madam Lockton—or simply Madam—is evil incarnate. The only time Madam treats Isabel with any kindness is when she feeds Isabel gingerbread and sweet milk in Chapter XX, but this is only to drug Isabel into sleeping through Ruth’s disappearance. Madam is the object of her husband’s violent temper, and she turns this violence back at her servants and slaves. She even loathes her aunt-in-law, Lady Clarissa Seymour, who shows kindness to Madam when Madam needs help. Madam has no children of her own to soften her and shows no affection or love toward her husband, only bitter resentment.

Madam is vain, decadent, and self-serving. She loves high fashion, elaborate hairstyles, fine linens, expensive china, and heavy makeup, even though a war rages outside her door and her neighbors suffer from disease, starvation, and despair. One of the novel’s lightest moments is when one of her false eyebrows falls into her rice pudding at a feast. She ignores this event completely, just as she ignores everyone and everything that does not affect her personally.

Madam does not change or evolve over the course the novel. She remains vicious, hostile, cynical, and icy throughout the entire narrative. Perhaps she wishes that she and her husband still lived in Europe, where her aristocratic tastes may find a better home. She is despicable and the perfect foil to the novel’s heroine, Isabel.

Previous section Curzon Next section Elihu Lockton

Take a Study Break