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Cranford (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)

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Characters Discussed

Mary Smith, a young Englishwoman who narrates the little affairs of the spinsters living in the village of Cranford.

Miss Deborah Jenkyns, a domineering spinster. She makes all the decisions for herself and her fifty- five-year-old unmarried sister Matilda, called Matty. They are the daughters of a rector. When Deborah dies, her sister finds it difficult to make decisions for herself.

Miss Matilda (Matty) Jenkyns, who, though she has a better mind than Deborah, allows herself to be dominated by her sister. As a young woman, she had rejected a...

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