Howards End · Character

Dolly Fussell

Charles Wilcox's pretty, golf-playing bride, whose cheerful silliness and triangular face charm her robust husband while quietly baffling everyone with more subtle tastes.

supporting

Also known as Fussell, Miss Dolly Fussell

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in Howards End, Dolly Fussell is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned as Charles's new wife; her photograph is shown to Margaret.

In the storyVIIIOpen this moment free

See Dolly Fussell in VIII Book page

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Dolly enters the Wilcox orbit through a mixed foursome on the links, and her photograph — signed 'For dear Mims' — announces her as a new daughter-in-law eager to please. She is sweet, trivial, and entirely at home in the Wilcox world of motorcars and money, a foil to the intellectual Schlegel sisters. Her small vanities and unthinking loyalties help define the family she has married into, and the gulf between Howards End and Wickham Place.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Dolly Fussell sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Dolly Fussell in i

Character Web

20 connections

A slice of how Dolly Fussell sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Social
Family
Other

Character groups

Wilcox family and associates
Lower-class and peripheral figures
Eccentric and domestic characters
Protagonist

+15 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of Leonard's guilt, where Remorse…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Margaret Schlegel
social · ambivalent
Acquaintances through marriage, with Dolly's gossipy and shallow demeanor irritating… How this plays out →
Charles Wilcox
family · ambivalent
Helen Schlegel
social · ambivalent
Margaret Schlegel
social · ambivalent
Acquaintances through marriage, with Dolly's gossipy and shallow demeanor irritating… How this plays out →
Helen Schlegel
social · ambivalent
Helen Schlegel
social · ambivalent
Charles Wilcox
family · ambivalent
Margaret Schlegel
social · ambivalent
Acquaintances through marriage, with Dolly's gossipy and shallow demeanor irritating… How this plays out →
Charles Wilcox
family · ambivalent

Margaret Schlegel
Acquaintances through marriage, with Dolly's gossipy and shallow demeanor irritating Margaret.
Charles Wilcox
Husband and wife, a conventional marriage lacking deep emotional connection.
Helen Schlegel
Superficial acquaintances, with Dolly viewing Helen as eccentric and unpredictable.
Margaret Schlegel
Acquaintances through marriage, with Dolly's gossipy and shallow demeanor irritating Margaret.
Helen Schlegel
Superficial acquaintances, with Dolly viewing Helen as eccentric and unpredictable.
Helen Schlegel
Superficial acquaintances, with Dolly viewing Helen as eccentric and unpredictable.
Charles Wilcox
Husband and wife, a conventional marriage lacking deep emotional connection.
Margaret Schlegel
Acquaintances through marriage, with Dolly's gossipy and shallow demeanor irritating Margaret.
Charles Wilcox
Husband and wife, a conventional marriage lacking deep emotional connection.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Dolly Fussell in i

In the story

Dolly Fussell appears across 11 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

VIII
Mentioned as Charles's new wife; her photograph is shown to Margaret.
Chapter IX
Mentioned by Mrs. Wilcox as being like Charles in her quickness.
Chapter XI
Interrupts with naive comments about the note's legality, is rebuked by Charles, and feels bored and out of place during the family discussion.
Chapter XXI
Deflects Charles's accusations and shows defiance, though she admits her role in the matchmaking.
XXIV
Joins Henry and Margaret for tea, shares gossip about Miss Avery and the Wilcox family history.
XXV
Suggests that she and Uncle Percy pretend to break off their engagement to pressure Mr. Wilcox, but Charles dismisses the idea.
XXXII
Dolly visits Margaret, bringing news of Miss Avery's actions and recounting the earlier conflict over Evie's gift.
XXXV
Dolly is present at the start of the chapter, showing vulgar excitement when Henry plans to leave without Margaret.
XXXVIII
Briefly appears offering tea and is told to wheel the baby away.
XLII
Kept dinner waiting for Margaret; remains uninformed about the unfolding events.
XLIV
Nervous and tactless, she mentions Mrs. Wilcox's original bequest of Howards End to Margaret, inadvertently revealing the old secret.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Dolly Fussell unlock in the free preview.

See Dolly Fussell in i

See Dolly Fussell in VIII