The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

Matthew is one of the novel’s primary characters, and he contributes a significant portion of the narrative through the letters to his friend, Dr. Lewis. Matthew is a well-to-do, middle-aged, Welsh man; he is unmarried, and seems to have no interest in marrying or having his own family. On the surface, he can seem like a grumpy misanthrope who is never satisfied with anything; many of his letters consists of his various complaints about the places he visits and the people he encounters during his journey. However, Matthew’s sometimes gruff and grumpy demeanor masks the fact that he is quite compassionate and caring, especially to anyone whom he perceives as suffering unfairly.

While he often grumbles about the responsibility of caring for his unmarried sister and his orphaned niece and nephew, Matthew is also quite fond of them. He lightly mocks Tabitha’s husband-hunting and finds her behavior embarrassing, but he wishes for her happiness and takes steps to bring it about. His intervention to keep Lydia away from the actor Wilson is intended to protect her from social ruin, though it is also rooted in class prejudice. When Lydia expresses her distress over Matthew’s near drowning, he tells her, “my dear Liddy, I hope I shall live long enough to shew how sensible I am of your affection” (315).