Little Dorrit · Character

Mrs. General

A governess of impeccable deportment hired to varnish the Dorrit sisters for society, she polishes manners and quietly sands away everything natural.

supporting

Also known as Mrs. General

First appearance: Mrs. General

As a supporting figure in Little Dorrit, Mrs. General is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Listed in the travellers' book as part of the Dorrit suite; she observes the conversation about the dogs.

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Mrs. General is engaged to give the newly wealthy Dorrit daughters the surface of ladies, and she does it with a vocabulary of genteel euphemism and a horror of anything that might be called 'vulgar.' Her method is to substitute form for feeling, and the results are both comic and quietly cruel. She matters because she embodies the novel's suspicion that refinement, pursued for its own sake, is a kind of erasure.

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See Mrs. General in Mrs. General

Character Web

7 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Minor Characters and Background Figures
Circumlocution Office and Society

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt represents the story's dramatic climax because it depicts Arthur Clennam’s psychological nadir an…

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In the story

Mrs. General appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Fellow Travellers
Listed in the travellers' book as part of the Dorrit suite; she observes the conversation about the dogs.
Mrs. General
A dignified, proper lady with no opinions of her own, who varnishes over unpleasantness. She is hired by Mr. Dorrit to form the minds and manners of his daughters.
Something Wrong Somewhere
Advises Mr. Dorrit on Amy's lack of proper breeding, recommending that he speak to Amy himself; varnishes the Gowan connection based on their Merdle acquaintance.
Mostly, Prunes and Prism
Enforces the superficial code of 'Prunes and Prism' on the Dorrit family; is suspected by Fanny of having designs on Mr. Dorrit.
No Just Cause or Impediment Why These Two Persons Should Not Be Joined Together
Mentioned as a figure of formality; Fanny dismisses her relevance, and she performs a frosty retirement ritual after the wedding day.
The Storming of the Castle in the Air
Dines with the family; receives flattery from Mr. Dorrit and hints at a proposal; withdraws due to agitation.

Chapter companion notes

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