ISFP 1w2 Characters

ISFPs can be very opinionated and emotional, but also want to keep their loved ones happy, and for a while, that is what Emily tries to do with her jealous, possessive young husband. She does not wish to offend her godfather by refusing to see him when Louis demands that she stop because of the rumors about his scandalous affairs, because she argues that she has known him a long time and “my father trusts him,” which in her mind implies he’s a good person. She doesn’t really think about what others say about them in public, and cannot understand why her husband cares about such matters. Emily can be as stubborn as her husband, refusing to compromise for a long time (unlike her mother, who tries to find common ground between them). She only considers backing down from her opinions when she thinks their son might be in danger, and compromising is a way to get him back. She tries to avoid the man her husband is jealous of, but does it without tact—she shuts down a conversation with him when she sees it is upsetting Lewis, although he gets even more upset at her abrupt departure from the park (he says she humiliated them in public). She doesn’t understand what’s happening or why he cannot see her true character or would not trust her, since she has given him no real reason to; and even though she is fierce in her opinions, she does reconsider her decision to write her godfather and change her mind—too late to stop her husband from seeing the letter and viewing it as evidence of her deceit. Emily wants to reconcile, but also refuses to bend; she doesn’t think she should tolerate his poor behavior and accusations, even though toward the end she cares for him when she sees his miserable state of affairs, and considers him her responsibility to take care of (“the locals think he’s gone mad, and want to put him in an asylum!”). Emily is so driven by her emotional reactions, she does not really stop to think about her own motives, and sometimes blames their relationship problems on him, instead of asking what she did to contribute to them. She is far more active and realistic than Lewis, seeing others’ judgments of his sanity as a problem (they might put him into a mental institution!). She is also highly outgoing and social in public, enjoying dances and picnics and walks in the park, and feeling upset when deprived of them and dismissed to the country. She knows her own mind and acts on it.

Enneagram: 1w2

Emily is almost as obstinate as her husband in terms of not wanting to compromise or admit to doing anything wrong just to keep him happy; she only considers doing so, because it might enable her to steal back their son and leave with him, to get him away from his father. She argues that it’s not inappropriate for her to see her godfather, that there is nothing untoward in it, and her husband is being unreasonable—but at first, tries to do the right thing and meet his demands. She refuses to meet her godfather or speak to him in public, then becomes angry when her husband accuses her of making a scene. The more unreasonable and irrational he becomes, the more she refuses to go along with his accusations and the more she defends her character. Emily will not admit to any wrongdoing, because she has not “sinned.” Even at the end, she intended just to visit her husband to collect their son, but is overwhelmed with compassion for how ill her husband looks, and wants to reconcile with him and take care of him until his death, because he “needs” me. There’s an element of being needed, wanting to be loved, and shocked that he has destroyed their marriage over nothing. She is also less compromising than her sister Nora, a 2w1 who wants to reconcile everyone and keep everyone happy.

The Other Characters

There seems to be mostly SFJ women on the offering here, with a few thinker men tossed into the mix. Nora Rowley appears to be an ISFJ in how she smoothes things over with people, is honest about her feelings but is also sweet and sincere (admitting that she intended to marry someone for his money, but then thought better of it, and must choose her heart’s desire instead). She winds up with Hugh Stanbury, an ENFP who has “prospects” for the future and is living his best life as an aspiring journalist who doesn’t much care what others think of him. Hugh is awkward in telling her about his feelings and she is shocked when he admits that he loves her, since “you never told me!” She was seeking Fe affirmations where he was just gazing at her in adoration.

Reverend Gibson appears to be an ENTP 9w1 caught between a shy, obedient ISFJ 9w1 and her tyrannical ETJ sister. He’s too passive to choose between them and has no clue which one he likes the most, but he knows he would rather not have the one that screams at him for his cowardice and passivity and threatens him with a knife.

The old crank Miss Stanbury is a rigid ISTJ 1w9 who is set on doing the “right thing” even if it makes herself miserable, but then crumbles and throws her rigidity to the wind when she sees how unhappy it makes another sweet little accommodating 9w1 SFJ who is willing to throw away her own marital prospects to please Miss Stanbury. She is rightly told off by Priscilla, another ISTJ 1 who doesn’t mind dishing it out. Lastly, the ISTP investigator Mr. Bozzle appears to be a 6w5, always suspicious of everyone, leaping to the wrong conclusions, and insisting on himself doing ‘what must be done’ if it needs done; but also being slightly influenced by his wife’s critical opinions of him.