Character Analysis
Lady Middleton
Lady Middleton, in contrast to her husband, is perfectly well-bred but reserved and cold. She has few subjects of conversation and is concerned chiefly with the elegant maintenance of her household.
She shares her husband's liking for entertaining, not because she enjoys society but because she wants to show off her elegance. She dotes on her four children and is attracted to anyone who praises them; Anne and Lucy Steele are soon in favor because they allow their hair to be pulled down, their sashes untied, and so forth.
In London, acting as their hostess, she makes an excellent impression on John and Fanny Dashwood. Fanny, especially, is drawn to her, finding in her a kindred spirit.