# Mrs. Carteret — The Marrow of Tradition character guide > Mrs. Carteret in The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Carteret, XV Mrs. Carteret, The Missing Papers Mrs. Carteret **First appearance:** 0003-ii-the-christening-party ## Snapshot Major Carteret's wife, a woman of rigid social codes whose devotion to her child and aunt cannot quiet the secrets stirring beneath her household. ## Who they are Mrs. Carteret manages her home with the same severity she applies to servants—discharging a nurse merely for having a sister who works for the Millers. She tends her aging aunt Polly Ochiltree with dutiful patience, though the old woman's rambling memories of dead husbands and lost suitors unsettle her. Her fierce protectiveness of baby Dodie and her horror at any contact with 'negroes' houses' reveal how deeply the town's racial logic has shaped her, even as family secrets press against that composure. ## Relationships ### [Tom Delamere](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/tom_delamere) _social_ Mrs. Carteret maintains a polite but wary social acquaintance with Tom Delamere, aware of his questionable character but bound by Southern aristocracy. ### [Sister Olivia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/sister_olivia) _family_ Mrs. Carteret and Sister Olivia are sisters-in-law, bound by family ties but divided by racial secrets and social status. ### [Mr. Ellis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/mr_ellis) _social_ Mr. Ellis and Mrs. Carteret are polite social acquaintances, interacting within the upper echelons of Wellington society. ### [Sandy Campbell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/sandy_campbell) _social_ Mrs. Carteret views Sandy Campbell as a trusted servant, but their interactions are constrained by the racial hierarchy of the time. ### [Major Carteret](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/major_carteret) _family_ Major Carteret and Mrs. Carteret are husband and wife, united in their desire for a child but divided by his political extremism. ### [Polly Ochiltree](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/polly_ochiltree) _family_ Mrs. Carteret and Polly Ochiltree are aunt and niece, with Polly often interfering in family matters and causing tension. ### [Tom Delamere](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/tom_delamere) _social_ Mrs. Carteret maintains a polite but wary social acquaintance with Tom Delamere, aware of his questionable character but bound by Southern aristocracy. ### [Polly Ochiltree](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/polly_ochiltree) _family_ Mrs. Carteret and Polly Ochiltree are aunt and niece, with Polly often interfering in family matters and causing tension. ### [Sandy Campbell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/sandy_campbell) _social_ Mrs. Carteret views Sandy Campbell as a trusted servant, but their interactions are constrained by the racial hierarchy of the time. ### [Mr. Ellis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/mr_ellis) _social_ Mr. Ellis and Mrs. Carteret are polite social acquaintances, interacting within the upper echelons of Wellington society. ### [Sister Olivia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/sister_olivia) _family_ Mrs. Carteret and Sister Olivia are sisters-in-law, bound by family ties but divided by racial secrets and social status. ### [Tom Delamere](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/tom_delamere) _social_ Mrs. Carteret maintains a polite but wary social acquaintance with Tom Delamere, aware of his questionable character but bound by Southern aristocracy. ## In the story ### [The Marrow of Tradition](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/the-marrow-of-tradition) Major Carteret's wife, whose family history and secrets are central to the plot. ### [At Break of Day](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/i-at-break-of-day) In labor, suffering from a nervous shock that hastened the birth; her life and the child's are in danger. ### [II: The Christening Party](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/ii-the-christening-party) Still recovering from childbirth; appears tired during the racial debate and tries to keep the conversation light. ### [IV: Theodore Felix](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/iv-theodore-felix) Shows deep affection for Dodie and Mammy Jane, and is overcome with fear when Dodie swallows the rattle piece. ### [X: Delamere Plays a Trump](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/x-delamere-plays-a-trump) Dismisses the rumors as mere servants' gossip, defending Tom's character. ### [XIV: The Maunderings of Old Mrs. Ochiltree](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/xiv-the-maunderings-of-old-mrs-ochiltree) Visits her aunt Mrs. Ochiltree after discharging the nurse; coldly avoids Janet Miller during the drive. ### [XV: Mrs. Carteret Seeks an Explanation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/xv-mrs-carteret-seeks-an-explanation) Olivia Carteret, the niece, demands an explanation from her aunt about her father's relationship with Julia Brown. ### [XVI: Ellis Takes a Trick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/xvi-ellis-takes-a-trick) Joins the drive; observes Clara's dislike for Ellis; wonders about Tom's whereabouts. ### [XXX: The Missing Papers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/xxx-the-missing-papers) Grapples with the discovery of her father's marriage certificate to Julia Brown and ultimately destroys it. ### [XXXIV: The Valley of the Shadow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/chapters/xxxiv-the-valley-of-the-shadow) Mentioned as the 'old mistress' to whom Mammy Jane's dying thoughts are directed. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters/mrs_carteret - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_marrow_of_tradition_se/characters