Katrina Van Tassel is aptly described as a “coquette,” a woman aware of her beauty and desirability, and she uses these traits to get what she wants. She dresses in fashionable clothing that shows off her best physical qualities and is described as plump and rosy-cheeked. Her clothing and healthy physique signal her family’s wealth, and Katrina knows this wealth is something else that makes her desirable. By describing Katrina as a coquette, the narrator presents her as manipulative and spoiled. For example, her father indulges her by paying for extra singing lessons with Ichabod, and Katrina in turn uses the extra time spent with Ichabod to make Brom jealous. However, it is notable that Katrina does not have any dialogue in the story and her actions are only indirectly described by the narrator. The strong implication that the narrator is Brom Bones, one of Katrina’s suitors, makes the narrator’s version of events an unreliable one. Katrina’s true motivations and desires are therefore unknown, as she is seen only through the lens of the men who are courting her. When she rejects Ichabod after the party, the scene plays out offscreen, and the narrator again speculates that Katrina only uses Ichabod to make Brom jealous. This limited and unreliable perspective reduces Katrina to a prize that is to be won. However, if Katrina’s goal was in fact to marry Brom Bones all along, she reaches her goal by cunningly using her gifts to her advantage.