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MISS MATTFIELD

All of Priestley's characters are well-rounded and life-like, and Lilian Mattfield is no exception. First we see her through the eyes of her co-workers, when she enters the office in Angel Pavement in the morning. Her decided eyebrows, sharp movements and domineering figure, she seems to be-out of the place there, and she really is. Coming from a family of a professional gentleman, she has education, character and ambitions, but ready to condescend (cнизойти) to the office and become the typewriter to earn her living. She feels unfulfilled and that's why she gives way to a hundred small grievances (complaint) every day. She is always discontented and makes people feel it, dating even her boss, Mr. Dersingham. All the people who surround Miss Mattfield are much weaker than her, proud of her in a way. So she needs a stronger man who would make her feel like a girl. She is so much disgusted by the decent feeble fellows of those times, that she ready to fall into the arms of a strong-willed and independent crook (жулик) with a big lump of character", and she does, when he shows his interest in her. Being fed up with life at Burpenfield club, which primarily consists of washing stockings and kettles with hot water, Lilian accepts Mr. Golspie. Although at first she is reluctant-even to think of such course of events, because Mr. Golspie seems to treat her in a disrespectful and humiliating way which doesn't change after their affair started. She subconsciously protests against the shabbiness and furtiveness of their planned weekend together, yet she can't he delight of adventure and change. Anyway, Miss Mattfield can't renounce decency at all, as she wears an imitation wedding ring, when she's waiting for Mr. Golspie at the station, Moreover, she would even agree to marry him and go to a distant country, if he asked her. Deep inside she lives a desire for the same life as any girl would dream of, and it's revealed in her Christmas dream. She simply dreams of living in a cozy house with a loving husband and children. She wants a man of character only to tame him, to conquer him, who adores her. In all probability, she doesn't even love Mr. Golspie, but is enchanted by his difference from what she has been used to and excited at the kind of life he can offer her. When he finally doesn't show up at station, "her mangled pride bleeds and aches inside her", she feels tossed away like some useless thing.