The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

Tabitha Bramble is a primary character in the novel; her actions and their consequences are often mentioned by other characters, and they strongly impact the development of the plot, although she only occasionally contributes directly to the narrative via letters to the housekeeper at Brambleton Hall. Tabitha is generally depicted negatively; Jeremy gives an unflattering description of her physical attributes, including “her teeth straggling and loose, of various colors and conformation; and her long neck shriveled into a thousand wrinkles” (60), and then goes on to say that she is “proud, stiff, vain, imperious, prying, malicious, greedy, and uncharitable” (60). Tabitha is generally so disagreeable that even when she behaves pleasantly, Matthew assumes that she is simply covering up some sort of scheme or trick.

Tabitha is depicted as ridiculous as well as disagreeable; while she is clearly an older woman (contrasting unfavorably with the young and attractive Lydia), she continues energetically looking for a husband. The distaste shown toward this behavior develops the theme of Patriarchal Control of Female Desire. Tabitha eagerly throws herself at any eligible man she encounters during the journey, and she becomes annoyed and spiteful whenever a man rejects her. Tabitha’s enthusiasm for men is presented as somewhat embarrassing and unseemly, but she ultimately is successful at getting what she wants. At the end of the novel, Tabitha marries Lismahago, an ornery and opinionated Scottish soldier. Matthew wryly remarks that, “I have great hopes that he and Tabby will be as happily paired as any two draught animals in the kingdom” (339). Tabitha’s character does not change or develop during the plot, but she is consistent, and ultimately successful in achieving her goals.

Lydia Melford is one of the primary characters in the novel, and she occasionally contributes directly to the narrative through letters to her friends. She is presented as a sweet, modest, and well-behaved young woman who is also quite sensitive and self-aware. Lydia is easily impressed and wonderstruck by some of the locales that she visits, exclaiming of Bath that, “all is gayety, good-humor, and diversion” (39). However, she is also easily overwhelmed by large, bustling places, and, like her uncle Matthew Bramble, she prefers a quiet life in the country: “I could gladly give up all these tumultuous pleasures, for country solitude” (95).

Lydia directly precipitates one of the novel’s major conflicts: during her time in Gloucester, she falls in love with a man named Wilson, who presents himself as an impoverished actor. Lydia dutifully gives up Wilson when her family demands it, insisting that, “I never harbored a thought that was otherwise than virtuous” (9). However, she melancholically pines for her lost love throughout the remainder of the travels, and reveals herself to be torn between duty and her own desires. Even while she is unable to stop loving Wilson, Lydia passively accepts her fate, and she only ends up happily reunited with her beloved when he reveals his true identity as the wealthy son of a country gentleman. Lydia’s delicate and modest character is reinforced when she expresses her nervousness about her upcoming wedding, even though she is very happy to be with Wilson/George Dennison. Lydia consistently upholds of the ideals of 18th-century femininity, and thus she is rewarded with a happy marriage at the end of the novel.

Jeremy Melford is one of the novel’s primary characters, and he contributes a significant portion of the narrative through his letters to his friend, Sir Watkin Phillips. Jeremy is a young man (his age is never specified, but he is likely in his twenties); he has recently studied at Oxford but does not yet seem to have begun a career or taken on adult responsibilities. Jeremy largely functions as a detached and bemused observer throughout the novel; he has a wry sense of humor and can appreciate the melodrama that the more emotional characters create by taking situations more seriously. For example, describing the embarrassing incident in which Tabitha thinks Barton is courting her, Jeremy dryly remarks that, “the farce is finished” (146). Jeremy is well-educated and fairly cosmopolitan in his tastes; he appreciates the various locales he visits in a more balanced way than many of the other characters.

Jeremy also seems to take a cool and aloof attitude toward sexual and romantic relationships; he is bemused by both Tabitha’s efforts to find a husband and by the rivalry for Winifred’s affections. Early on, Jeremy expresses indifference to the false rumor that he has gotten a woman pregnant, telling a friend that “if my name can be of any service to him [the actual father of the child], he is welcome to make use of it” (28). While this detail implies that Jeremy is somewhat rakish, he does not pursue any other liaisons for the remainder of the plot. Despite this apparent indifference, Jeremy is fiercely and even slightly obsessively protective of his younger sister; he repeatedly attempts to challenge Wilson to a duel, and he states that he would cut off Lydia entirely if he found out that she was pursuing a relationship with a lower-class man. Jeremy’s strong class prejudice is revealed when he completely changes his perspective as soon as he finds out that Wilson/George Dennison is actually a well-bred and well-off man.

Winifred Jenkins is an important secondary character in the novel; she occasionally contributes to the narrative through letters to her friend. Winifred is Tabitha’s personal maid, and in this capacity she travels with the family during their journey. She is not well-educated, and her letters frequently reveal misspellings and confusion between different words. Winifred has little social power or influence, but she has knowledge of many secrets and personal events, and she often gossips about her employers to a fellow servant. Winifred also actively thinks about her satisfaction with her job, and considers making changes if necessary; for example, when she gleans that Tabitha is likely going to marry Lismahago, Winifred plans to find a different job, as she predicts that she will not like working in the same house as Lismahago.

Interestingly, Winifred is one the characters who experiences the greatest growth and development over the course of the novel. As a fellow servant, she interacts often with Humphry and learns from his example, becoming more devoutly religious. Winifred also ends up needing to choose between two suitors: the virtuous and modest Humphry and the flashy and superficial Dutton. Dutton embarrasses Winifred by taking her out in fancy dress and makeup; he later jilts her for a wealthy heiress. Asserting that, “I am no harlot” (219), Winifred becomes much more committed to her relationship with Humphry: she comes to understand her own values, and the importance of working within her own social position, rather than trying to step outside of it. Winifred does end up significantly advancing her social position (due to her marriage to Humphry, who is revealed to be biologically connected to the Bramble family), and the novel ends with her gloating that she is “being, by God’s blessing, removed to a higher spear [sphere]” (353). She ends the plot in a better position than she began, as a married woman, and one with significantly elevated social standing.