Another assignment I had in Devoney Looser’s class on Jane Austen was that of examining a minor character and writing about that character. This was an assignment that I thought I wouldn’t be able to get a full paper out of then surprised myself by finding Austen’s minor characters were created with such meaning. I was impressed at how much a supposedly minor character contributed to the story and it gave me insight into my own characters I was creating.

Gina Ruiz

Devoney Looser

ENG 535

22 April 2023

Lady Catherine de Bourgh: A Character Study

Lady Catherine de Bourgh, a minor character in Jane Austen’s second novel Pride and Prejudice, is in no way inconsequential to the plot. In fact, Lady Catherine, though she does not appear in the novel till nearly the end, is pivotal to nearly all the characters in the story. From her lofty perch at her imposing estate, Rosings, Lady Catherine, though she appears only by mention, drives the plot and is integral to it. Without Lady Catherine’s manipulations and consequence to propel the plot, it is doubtful that the novel would have been as deeply satisfying or entertaining.

Lady Catherine is first mentioned in Chapter XIII, in a letter from Mr. Collins, cousin to the Bennets, and heir to their entailed property. The letter, dated 15^th October, states: “I have been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh,” (Austen 244). Mr. Collins goes on to effusively discuss Lady Catherine’s position and consequence in his letter, so the Bennets and readers get a sense that she is someone important.

Austen uses this letter to foreshadow Lady Catherine’s importance, both as a person of consequence and someone who will influence the lives of the Bennets. Austen is clever here, using Mr. Collins’ obsequious expounding on Lady Catherine’s consequence to both give us a sense of his character, as well as to indicate the lady’s notability in glowing terms. Lady Catherine’s name also gives a hint of her importance, her dominance, and her aggression.

According to Margaret Doody, Lady Catherine was a Fitzwilliam before her marriage, giving clear signal to Austen’s English readers of the period, that she came from a Norman background with ties to William the Conqueror himself (Doody 112). Further, the surname de Bourgh, (de Burgh, or de Burg), is from English/Germanic origins and “de Burg – was a companion of the Conqueror to whom William gave the responsibility of guarding Dover castle and hence of keeping of Dover” (Doody 113). Margaret Doody goes on to state that “Lady Catherine, aggressively Norman, sits within her fortress at Rosings” (Doody 113). We see that in the letter from Mr. Collins. Lady Catherine is aggressively present and formidable. She enters the Bennet’s lives through a letter from her fortress at Rosings and sends them the cousin they have been disposed to dislike because he has the power to displace all the Bennet ladies if Mr. Bennet dies. Mr. Collins highlights the Bennet’s helplessness and lack of power in terms of the entailed property, while the mention of Lady Catherine indicates that she will be an important presence in the story.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh is making her presence felt from Kent in her fortress at Rosings, though she overshadows her residence. Unlike the details given at Pemberley, Austen gives cursory attention to the furnishings or architecture at Rosings. Instead, she focuses more on Lady Catherine, who “overshadows her house” (Ray). It is Catherine de Bourgh on whom Austen focuses her pen, with her own claims to being of “from ancient, though untitled lines,” (Austen 403). If we look only at Lady Catherine’s surname, we see that it is indeed ancient.

In the OED, the word “bourgh” or “borough” comes from the Old English “burg”, and has Germanic origins, which also would imply that Lady Catherine might have not only Norman conquerors in her DNA, but that of the defeated Saxons. That would imply that her family has been around since long before the Norman Conquest and not only managed to survive but thrive as Normans through assimilation and cleverness. That original de Burg who was the companion to William the Conqueror, must have been originally from Saxon nobility. Saxon origins would have firmly placed Lady Catherine as one of the “old families” in every sense of the term. The word “burg” literally means “a fortress, castle, or citadel” (borough, n.), which implies that not only does Lady Catherine live in such a fortress, but she is above the Bennets in power and consequence. Kings and queens live in castles or citadels, so Austen, by choosing such a name for this character, is showing her readers that Lady Catherine can and will make the rules. She is someone to be wary of, as well as someone to be impressed with.

Lady Catherine’s presence is felt more and more as the novel progresses, Mr. Collins discloses that she is Darcy’s aunt, and frequently glorifies her attributes to anyone who will listen. In Mr. Collins’ obnoxious proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, her name comes up repeatedly, most particularly in this passage, where we find it is Lady Catherine who sent him to propose to one of the Bennet daughters: “…that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honor of calling patroness” (Austen 269). Would Mr. Collins have decided to visit his cousins with marriage in mind if not driven by Lady Catherine to do so? It is doubtful. After Collins settles on Elizabeth’s dearest friend, Charlotte Lucas, it is only a matter of time before Elizabeth and Lady Catherine will meet.

When Lady Catherine does appear in the novel, she is in a position of power, at her dinner table, where her guests sit where she wants them to sit “he took his seat at the bottom of the table, by her ladyship’s desire” (Austen 299), and controlling the conversation. Lady Catherine makes her opinions known and asks blunt, piercing questions, that could be construed as rude, but her consequence allows her to override any manners. She is above society’s restrictions, at least in her own beliefs. Further, her class status and importance are showcased when Mr. Collins urges Elizabeth Bennet “to dress simply, and not to emulate the apparel of her high-ranking hostess: the differences in station are not only present but must be seen to be present” (McMaster). By including this scene, Austen highlights not only the social standing of Lady Catherine but dresses her in importance.

The best part of the novel, and one which showcases Elizabeth Bennet’s own power and courage, is the scene where Lady Catherine shows up determined to keep Darcy from marrying her. Without that scene, Pride and Prejudice would not be as memorable, nor would Elizabeth Bennet be such an amazing and lasting heroine. Elizabeth is the victor, and she attains her heart’s desire after this scene, but would she have, had Lady Catherine not tried to force her to back off? No. Darcy may have stayed away, rejected, and angry.

Instead, Darcy, in his second, and much more romantic proposal affirms this “It taught me to hope,” said he, “as I had scarcely ever allowed myself to hope before” (Austen 409). It is that hope that drives Darcy to try again, successfully this time. Lady Catherine has, by trying to manipulate the situation, achieved the opposite of her objective, and yet, even vanquished, she appears on the last page of the novel: “after her resentment gave way…she condescended to wait on them at Pemberly” (Austen 421). By giving her a paragraph and a resolution on the last page, Austen is still giving Lady Catherine importance. Though a seemingly minor character, Lady Catherine is, in fact, pivotal and drives much of the plot.

Works Cited

“borough, n.”. OED. Oxford English Dictionary Online. March 2023. <www.oed.com/view/Entry/21687>. Accessed 22 April 2023..

Austen, Jane. “Pride and Prejudice.” Austen, Jane. The Complete Novels of Jane Austen. New York: Penguin Books, 2006. 211-421.

Doody, Margaret. Jane Austen’s Names: Riddles, Persons, Places. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2015.

Mcmaster, Juliet. “Class.” The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen, Cambridge. Edited by Edward Copeland, and Juliet McMaster. Cambridge University Press, 1997. ProQuest, http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/books/class/docview/2137989209/se-2.

Ray, Joan K. “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: The Tale Told by Lady Catherine’s House.” The Explicator, vol. 67, no. 1, 2008, pp. 66-70. ProQuest, http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/pride-prejudice-tale-told-lady-catherines-house/docview/216784373/se-2.