ISFJ 2w1 Characters

Matthew cares very much about his family, but also has a traditional streak that doesn’t show itself until later in the series run, when he chooses to make all the financial decisions and tries to save their resources, without ever asking his wife what she wants or how she intends to contribute. He sees himself as the chief provider, and does not take it well when forced to rely on her income to avoid the poor house. His own memories and past are important to him, and he often takes action to commemorate them, such as wanting the memory of his wife to live on through his generosity to the nuns. He initially knows nothing about his tenants or their lives, until Trixie invites him to come down and see the slums and challenges him to do something about it; then, Matthew is disgusted and does what he can to rehouse people, fix up their apartments, and tend to all their physical needs. He is emotional, sensitive, cares a lot how others respond to him, easily expresses his feelings in any given moment, and tries to do good by other people. Matthew assumes he is responsible for them, but also tends to make plans for Trixie and his son, out of a desire to care for them. He is rational enough to know what needs done, and how to help avoid bankruptcy, but his mother’s firm believes he is too soft-hearted to make good financial decisions, and that’s why they kick him off the Board. Matthew is bold enough to envision a new life for their family in New York, and to pursue it, but also worries about the future and where they may be headed as a family if he can’t straighten out their money troubles.

Enneagram: 2w1

Matthew almost bankrupts himself trying to make up for all his father’s mistakes, take care of all the tenants in the slums he inherited, and by constantly donating funds, property, and support to the nuns, out of a desire to ‘give back’ to the community. When he actually faces a crisis at work that stems from his do-good behaviors causing them to lose a great deal of money, he feels ashamed and doesn’t want any of their friends to know that he has been laid off. It pains him to have the car repossessed in public, and to have to tell Sister Julienne he has to sign over the deed to the House to her immediately, or risk it being seized among his personal assets. He needs to feel useful, and in control, so he goes out of his way to fix things, including not asking Trixie to help him make decisions, and going over her head to make a deal in New York. He ‘has decided’ that’s where him and his son are going to live, and even if Trixie doesn’t go with them, he still goes off to make a life for himself. Matthew cares too much what others think, but also over-taxes himself by doing what is good, being proper, and feeling enormous amounts of guilt for his father’s abuse of their tenants (letting them live in squalor).