MBTI Type: INFJ

When Edith consults with Basil Brown about digging into one of her mounds, he tells her that she ought not start with the biggest one, because it had the most potential for thieves to rob it in previous centuries. She allows him to start on another mound, but still admits that she has a “feeling” that the first, biggest mound has the best potential to give up its treasures. She turns out to be right, because after several weeks of excavation, the group uncovers objects that predate the Vikings, and change the face of British history forever. It shows the world that people came, traded, and had commerce much further back in history than anyone had suspected. Edith’s hunch proved right. She displays other indications of forward thinking, such as refusing to surrender her treasures to the British Museum because war is about to break out (“they are taking everything out of there!”), and wanting to wait to decide what to do with them until the dig yields everything. She resists the “facts” more than Basil does, insisting that she’s right about which mound to dig up. Edith is generally pleasant to people, even if she is telling them what they don’t want to hear. She takes pity on Peggy and her inadequate wardrobe, and invites her up to the house for a change of clothes. She confides in Basil a few times, about her hopes and dreams and even a few of her fears. Edith is also reluctant to horde her treasure, and invites everyone in the neighborhood to see it, insisting that it’s a piece of history for them all to share. This reveals her “we-based” mindset and her belief that she must be responsible to society and considerate of its needs. Edith doesn’t show much introverted thinking other than in her great interest in the past, her enjoyment of thinking about the lives these people lead, and her firm belief in doing what feels right even if it’s not financially profitable. She is also quite inert; she does venture into the dig at one point (Basil warns her it’s dangerous, and indeed, a few minutes later, he gets buried in a landslide), but due to her illness, spends most of her time on the sidelines. She seems to sense that Peggy is having problems in her marriage and feels shame for her desire to be with an airman, and tells her that life is too short, we should “leap on some opportunities.”

Enneagram: 5w6 sp/so

Edith is clearly from the withdrawn triad—she believes in her own judgment and never asks anyone else for help, except when she solicits Basil’s opinion when asking him if she is doing the “right thing” by holding back treasures from the dig rather than instantly giving them to the British Museum. Others often try to persuade her to change her mind or favor them, but she refuses to listen and instead, goes back to the house to consider her options. She winds up not taking the most money for the objects, but showcasing them the best she can instead. Even though she is aware that she is dying from heart failure, she does not inform her son of anything being wrong, and refuses to let anyone into the house when she’s not feeling at her best. This implies her lack of belief that anyone would be concerned for her, and her deeming it unnecessary to find support in the assistance of others. Edith respects Basil as a fellow enthusiast for ancient history and prefers him on her dig. But she is also somewhat compliant at times, allowing a professional to take over the dig because the British Museum “told her to.” This shows some flexibility within her 6 wing, a desire to maintain pleasant interactions (even if she is being defiant and trusting her own judgment when it comes to making decisions), and even a little self-doubt from time to time.

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