Character sketch of Katherine Bridges

1.

Charming Personality:
Katherine Bridges was a very beautiful and charming girl of 25. She had blue, bright
and flashing eyes. She had freckled cheeks and smooth straw-coloured hair. She had very
attractive and charming features which impressed others on the very first sight.

2.

Educated and Cultured:

Katherine was an educated and cultured woman. By profession she was a governess a lady
teacher who lived with a rich family and educated their children at home. She was well educated
for her profession. She was well versed with the cultured and civilized way of life and knew fully
well how to behave in the civilized world. She was soft-spoken and impressive in her talk. She
knew how to convey her ideas to others. She also knew the art of persuasion. She always
succeeded in persuading Chips to come round to her viewpoint.

3. Intelligent and Wise:

Katherine was a really very intelligent as she understood the ideas and habits of her husband
very well. She married him after understanding his habits and nature. She was also a wise wife.
She became the most useful adviser to Chips. Chips was quite a changed man after his marriage
with her. She gave him useful advice in an intelligent way. She advised him how to treat students
and how to keep good discipline.

4. Influence on Mr. Chips:

Katherine loved her husband from the heart. She tried to give him all possible comforts. She had
a very happy and healthy influence on the mind of her husband. She made anew man of him.
She developed his sense of humour. His discipline after marriage. She persuaded him to make
plans. She advised him in all matters.

5. Bold and Courageous:

Katherine was a very bold and courageous woman. She loved adventure. She was an expert
mountaineer. She loved to climb up the dangerous ledges. She could explore the valleys and
climb up the hills like Great Gable all alone. She cycled down the lakeside road to reach Wasdale
Head where Chips was staying. She was unafraid to visit a man alone in a farm house. She
always took the bold decisions. It was she who decided to marry a man old enough to be called
her father. It was on her suggestion, that the football match was arranged.

6. Radical and Revolutionary:

She possessed radical and socialistic ideas. She loved to read Bernard Shaw who had the
strangest and most reprehensible opinions. She admired Ibsen who wrote disturbing plays. In
politics, her ideal was William Morris, whopossessed liberal ideas. She favoured the right of

women to vote and get admission to universities. She was very bold in the expression of
her ideas and she expressed them to Chips during her visits. She was a woman of
progressive ideas and believed that woman should be given equal status and job opportunities
with men.

7. Sympathetic and Merciful:

She had a kind and loving heart. She was very sympathetic and considerate. When Chips
slipped at the Great Gable and wrentched his ankle, she held herself responsible for that and
took it upon herself to took after Mr. Chips she took care of him like a nurse for one week.

8. Modern Woman:
She was modern woman with modern attitude to life. She liked all the modern fashions and
adopted all the modern devices which the modern woman could use. She did not bother about
the conventions and traditions. She was frank and straight forward. She did not like to hide her
opinions, rather she openly expressed her views in favour of modern values which later on
helped Chips to broaden his views. She loved music and was a good cello player. She took part
in the music concert of the school.
9.

Devoted and Judicious Wife:

Katherine was quite antagonistic to Mr. Chips in her views and ideas. She was modern and
liberal whereas Chips was conservative and old fashioned. She had a remarkable quality of
adjustability. She was social able and co-operative. She made herself lovable to the teachers as
well as their wives and the students at school. She always advised Chips in a judicious way. She
persuaded him to be lenient to the students but be strict in the matters of discipline. She
exercised immense influence on Mr. Chips. She made him quite a new man. She broadened his
views, gave a new sparkle to his jokes and made him lovable to all. Although her married life
lasted for a very short time yet Chips could never shake off all his influence. He got inspiration
from the judicious suggestions given by her.

10. Tragic Death:

she could lead only two years of her happy married life. She died in 1898, along with the new
born baby during maternity. It was such a tragic shock that Chips could never shake off its effect.
Whenever, in later years he remembered this tragic event, tears would trickle down his checks.

On the whole, Katherine Bridges possessed genial , affectionate and considerate nature. So she
was loved, honoured and admired not only by Mr. Chips but also by the students, teachers and
the inhabitants of Brookfield.