MBTI Type: ISTJ
Alexander bases all of his assumptions about people on their previous track record—he objects to Sir Edward trying to court Augusta because he knows that he has seduced and abandoned women before, and is a shameless pursuer of fortune. These things make him untrustworthy in Alexander’s mind (he isn’t wrong). He’s meticulous in his lifestyle, he prefers to be at home, he keeps things the way he likes them in his home and does not like change, and as a result of his suppression of his intuition, Alexander is often wrong in how he handles situations, or he leaps to the wrong conclusion. He doesn’t think forbidding his niece from seeing the man she likes will cause her to defy him, until he has the evidence in his own two hands. He assumes the worst of most situations, including that she will be “ruined” by the time he finds her, a fact that Charlotte tries to discourage him from (this is also because of his 5ish tendency to focus on negativity). Alexander is also blunt and factual. He lays down the law and imposes rules, regardless of what others think or feel about them. Charlotte has to teach him how to better communicate with his niece by being responsive to her feelings. Most of the time, he can get absorbed in his own emotions, and shut other people out. He tries to get his daughter to act properly, rather than fully respects her need to be a tomboy—at first. But he’s also proactive in handling problems, and direct in how he expresses himself—he never leaves anyone in doubt of what he thinks about them, or the situation at hand.
Enneagram: 5w4 sp/so
When Charlotte first meets Alexander, he’s a recluse – he never leaves his home, he rarely comes into town, he wants nothing to do with socializing or taking his wards to local events. He is super private, doesn’t like her playing the piano, and wants to keep her out of certain rooms in the house, someone who is minimizing his life rather than maximizing it. Charlotte eventually teaches him to stop sitting on the sidelines or hiding out in his mansion and embrace more of what life has to offer—some of the pleasure and fun that can be had around people. He’s somewhat stubborn about his opinions, and it takes a lot for him to open up, admit he needs guidance, and ask Charlotte how to communicate better with his niece. He is also tied to the past, and finds it hard to move on from the things that have happened to him, including the loss of his wife, her betrayal, etc. Rather than “move on,” he prolongs his feelings of sadness and holds onto them. He struggles to fully connect to his emotions enough to be open to Charlotte, but in the final season, he improves in this area and purses her, rather than holds back, and no longer impedes his own path toward personal happiness.
Funky MBTI 