The Cords of Vanity · Character

Jasper Hardress

Fat, disgustingly healthy Jasper Hardress has married Gillian and, by his mere robust existence, indefinitely postponed every hope of her widowhood.

supporting

Also known as Hardress, fat Jasper Hardress

First appearance: i he sits out a dance

As a supporting figure in The Cords of Vanity, Jasper Hardress is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned as being in love with his wife Gillian.

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Jasper Hardress is the portly, pompous husband whose presence at Nice keeps his wife's admirers in a state of comic despair. He once claimed consumption in the family to encourage his marriage, a fiction his rude health has since thoroughly refuted, and he welcomes guests with the complacency of a man who has no idea he is the obstacle in someone else's romance. His solid, unkillable body is the joke on which the narrator's hopes of a convenient bereavement founder.

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See Jasper Hardress in i he sits out a dance

Character Web

12 connections

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

Relationship types

Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Rival and witty observers
Central romantic triangle
Protagonist

+7 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

In this scene, the emotional peak occurs when Elena physically strikes the narrator after his social blunder,…

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Relationships

Unknown Narrator
rivalry · negative
Jasper is a rival for Stella's affections and a source of social competition for the… How this plays out →
Unknown Narrator
rivalry · negative
Jasper is a rival for Stella's affections and a source of social competition for the… How this plays out →
Unknown Narrator
rivalry · negative
Jasper is a rival for Stella's affections and a source of social competition for the… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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

See Jasper Hardress in i he sits out a dance

In the story

Jasper Hardress appears across 17 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

VI
Mentioned as being in love with his wife Gillian.
VII
Comes to welcome the narrator as a guest.
X: He Samples New Emotions
Jasper, Gillian's husband, remains unaware of the affair and treats the narrator with fondness.
VI
The husband who remains fond of the narrator and laughs off his wife's flirtations, showing no suspicion.
VII
Cordially detests Charteris, suspects him of being in love with Gillian, and distrusts many men for the same reason.
VIII
Mentioned as Gillian's husband, present at the dance during the confrontation.
XI: He Postures Among Chimney-Pots
Mentioned as being in London for the season; the narrator reflects on the 'Hardress incident' being closed.
I
Mentioned in the context of the 'Hardress incident,' which the narrator considers closed.
He Cleans the Slate
Arrives in America with his wife; discusses his work on a revised Bible translation and his plan to let Gillian divorce him; shows unexpected moral depth.
I
Arrives in America with his wife for a tour and to inspect mining properties in Montana.
II
Hardress discusses his work for the Philomatheans and his plan to divorce his wife, showing a selfless concern for her happiness.
III
Mentioned as Gillian's husband, whom the narrator no longer wishes to deceive.
VI
Mentioned as the subject of a story about his jealousy toward Charteris.
He Gilds the Weathervane
Hardress arrives distraught after his wife's death, armed with a pistol. He believes Charteris is responsible for her death and seeks vengeance.
III
Confronts the narrator, revealing his wife's death and her confession about Charteris; he is armed and seeking vengeance.
IV
Hardress is mentioned as having just turned the corner, and the narrator speculates about his involvement in the shooting.
The Epilogue
The narrator wonders whether Jasper has 'done for himself' after the four shots.

Chapter companion notes

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See Jasper Hardress in i he sits out a dance

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