Lady Susan

Throughout the novella, appearance is the singular most important trait of femininity, especially as it regards the beauty of Lady Susan. Lady Susan demonstrates the 18th century belief that appearance, especially the appearance of grace, represents the most valuable aspect of a woman. Susan carefully curates her appearance to obfuscate her true motivations. When Susan relays her interactions with Reginald regarding the Frederica debacle to Alicia, she notes: “If my countenance expressed what I aimed at, it was composed and dignified—and yet with a degree of pensiveness which might convince him that I was not quite happy” (60). Unlike many things in her life, Susan’s appearance is one thing that she has complete control over, and so she uses this control to manipulate her exterior life.

A society that prioritizes appearances necessitates that women turn to artifice to attain any sort of agency over their lives. Susan’s calm demeanor is demonstrated as integral to the manipulation of the men in her life—she often appears counter to how she feels. This deception infuriates the other female characters, especially Catherine. When Catherine writes to her mother regarding Lady Susan, she notes: “I am indeed provoked at the artifice of this unprincipled woman” (17).