MBTI Type: INTJ

Esther has an almost uncanny ability to size people up upon a brief acquaintance; she immediately knows that Clara is a fake, and a social-climber, and intent on stealing their aunt’s money out of their pocket, and says as much to her. She also warns her brother against him. Although she loves her stepbrother, Esther does not “give herself” to him, aware of the potential future consequences of her actions. She hovers between her idealistic future belief that they can go away, marry, and live a happy life together and her grasp of realism, which is tenuous at best. She shows almost no Se in her inactive lifestyle, other than whipping up the horses along the beach to go fast, out of contempt that her companion “does not know how to drive.” Going fast gives her pleasure. Blunt and practical, Esther continually fights a battle between her emotions and her practical acceptance of “how the world works.” Though she loves her brother, she indulges temporarily the attentions of a man who hopes to marry her, out of the correct belief that society would never allow her and Edward to become man and wife. She can brutally put people down, confiding in Charlotte that she hates almost everyone at Sanditon, threatening Clara to her face with the knowledge of what she is doing, and telling off a man who proposes marriage to her (she never wants to see him again). Much of the time, however, Clara spends in an introverted loop. Her Fi has selected her stepbrother for love, and she can be blind to his faults, blindsided by his sexual betrayals, and deeply hurt by him. She is so furious after his betrayal that she confides in her dying aunt the truth of his actions, leading to his disinheritance. Esther refuses to accept his apology, knowing it to be false in an attempt to get his hands on her fortune, and tries to rebuff the attentions of the man who loves her. She only concedes when she realizes he does not care if she doesn’t love him back – he would rather love her, and make her happy, than see her miserable.

Enneagram: 5w4 sp/so

Esther is withdrawn, secretive, and difficult for others to understand. She also finds it hard to relate to them on an emotional level, or to become more socially appropriate to fit in. These things seem distasteful to her. She is thoughtful, choosing to think over things before she does them, suspicious of others’ intentions and behaviors, and aloof. She comes across as hard to read, difficult to access, and even in a group, prefers to spend most of her time on the sidelines or alone. She retreats up the beach to watch the cricket game, and seems afraid to indulge in her passions beyond a controlled level. (She lets her brother brush her hair, but never sleeps with him, something Clara mocks.) Her 4 wing brings in a great deal of broodiness, emotional angst whenever she feels hurt, and a sense of deep-seated misery and betrayal when thwarted in life. Esther does not believe herself capable of happiness nor does she think she deserves it; the man who eventually marries her must convince her that she is worth happiness before she can move on from her brokenness and accept his gift of a love she believes she cannot reciprocate.