Memoirs of a Midget · Character

Mrs. Monnerie

The honourable Mrs. Monnerie — ample, mauve-cheeked, and complacently cruel — who collects the narrator as a curiosity and calls it kindness.

supporting

Also known as the honourable Mrs. Monnerie, Monnerie

First appearance: iii

As a supporting figure in Memoirs of a Midget, Mrs. Monnerie is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

See Mrs. Monnerie in iii Book page

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She speaks of the narrator as a 'toadlet' and a 'feast of mercies' in the same breath, parading her through palisaded gardens while her nephew Percy yawns and her dog Cherry sneers. Her drowsy vigilance and long-handled parasol conceal a will that arranges other people's lives for its own amusement. She is the book's great portrait of fashionable condescension, and the narrator's years under her shadow test whether a small person can ever be more than a spectacle.

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See Mrs. Monnerie in iii

Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This passage marks the dramatic climax because the narrator achieves a psychological turning point by explicit…

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In the story

Mrs. Monnerie appears across 22 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XXIV
Mrs. Monnerie dominates the gathering, questioning the narrator about her poem and health, and proposing sea-bathing and a visit.
XXV
Described as extremely arrogant but having singled out the narrator; the narrator copes with her influence and questions her character.
XXVII
Arranges the holiday to Lyme Regis for the narrator and Mrs. Bowater through a tactful letter.
XXIX
Invites the narrator to stay in her London house; arranges luxurious travel and lodgings.
XXXII
Hostess who transported Miss M. into high society; her townhouse is now Miss M.'s home.
XXXIII
Brings up Mr. Crimble's death at luncheon with detached amusement, comparing it to Greek tragedy; continues her manipulative probing.
XXXIV
Miss M.'s patroness, who treats her as a 'fancier' would a curiosity, taking her to various entertainments and testing her mind and manners.
XXXVII
The narrator's hostess in London, who is amused by the narrator's social pretensions.
XXXVIII
Receives Fanny with interest, engages in a duel of intuitions with her, and agrees to consider Fanny as a governess.
XXXIX
Mrs. Monnerie is in a pensive, dreamy state, but later offers Fanny a position as a morning governess and companion, showing her influence and hidden depth.
XLI
Mrs. Monnerie hosts the luncheon and praises the narrator's performance, calling her a 'friendly and docile little creature'.
XLII
Gazes at Percy with drowsy vigilance; enjoys intelligence as well as beauty; had promised to present the narrator at Court.
XLIII
The hostess who orchestrates the elaborate birthday banquet and a cruel joke involving nightingale tongues.
XLIV
Mrs. Monnerie confronts the narrator after the incident, showing a mix of concern and veiled threat, and arranges her exile to Croomham.
XLVIII
Mentioned as asking about the narrator's sanity; Fanny plans to use her for social climbing.
XLIX
Mrs. Monnerie is in good spirits, teasing the narrator about the Spanish Princess. She insists the narrator attend the circus but grows angry when the narrator refuses.
Wanderslore
Mrs. Monnerie is present at Wanderslore, contributing to the social dynamics and theatrical atmosphere.
L
Mrs. Monnerie angrily dismisses the narrator, prompting the flight.
LI
Mrs. Monnerie is mentioned as a potential source of protection or leverage in the narrator's argument with Mr. Anon.
LII
Mrs. Monnerie visits the booth, expresses disgust at the narrator's disguise, and leaves angrily after a tense exchange.
LV
Quoted as having said that the narrator's tale is 'once more to have drifted into being on show again—in a book.'
Endnotes
The recipient of the narrator's substitute motto.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mrs. Monnerie in iii