Persuasion
Mrs. Harville
The hospitable wife
Captain Harville’s calm, capable wife, who nurses Louisa in her small Lyme home.
Mrs. Harville is nurturing and capable, and she welcomes the whole Lyme party into her small house with quiet generosity. She is calm in an emergency and selfless.
She stands for the warmth of the naval households in the story: crowded, modest and kind. She does not seek attention for it. She sees to practical matters first, and she is happy to give up her own comfort for guests who need it. The warmth of her small household is one of the pleasures of the Lyme chapter.
In the story
Contains spoilers.
When Louisa is carried into the Harville home after her fall, Mrs. Harville nurses her skillfully, with her husband’s promise that they will care for her as their own sister.
Her care helps Louisa recover fully, so that a letter later brings news of her engagement. She keeps order in a crowded house while the others are shaken. Her kindness is never forgotten.
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