# Aunt Lilian — Those Barren Leaves character guide

> Aunt Lilian in Those Barren Leaves by Aldous Huxley.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Lilian, poor Lilian, Lilian Aldwinkle

**First appearance:** 0000-part-i-an-evening-at-mrs-aldwinkle-s

## Snapshot

Irene's aunt, a restless romantic who lectures her niece on seizing pleasure while privately scheming to know what Chelifer thinks of her.

## Who they are

Aunt Lilian urges Irene to enjoy herself and let herself go, then recruits her as a spy in her own feverish campaign to learn whether Chelifer mentions her name. Her bantering questions about Irene's suitors, her nightly interrogations, and her terror of being ignored make her at once comic and pitiable. She embodies the villa's hunger for experience without the capacity to be satisfied by it, and her obsession conveniently frees Irene from supervision — at the cost of making her aunt's unhappiness impossible to escape.

## Relationships

### [Irene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/characters/irene)

_family_

Aunt Lilian is Irene's caring and protective aunt, offering a maternal counterpoint to Mrs. Aldwinkle's harshness.

### [Irene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/characters/irene)

_family_

Aunt Lilian is Irene's caring and protective aunt, offering a maternal counterpoint to Mrs. Aldwinkle's harshness.

### [Irene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/characters/irene)

_family_

Aunt Lilian is Irene's caring and protective aunt, offering a maternal counterpoint to Mrs. Aldwinkle's harshness.

## In the story

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/chapters/vi)

Referenced as the instigator of Irene's artistic ambitions; encourages Irene to paint and write instead of sewing.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/chapters/viii)

Referred to as 'Aunt Lilian' by Irene; Mrs. Aldwinkle is Irene's aunt, and Irene sometimes feels she could hate her for her relentless teasing.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/chapters/i)

Referred to as 'Poor Aunt Lilian,' she is the object of Mrs. Aldwinkle's concern and the subject of Irene's secret observations.

### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/chapters/xi)

Mournfully preoccupied with Chelifer, disapproves of Irene's sewing, discusses Hovenden's possible homosexuality.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/characters/aunt_lilian
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/those_barren_leaves_se/characters