Mr. Hatfield Character Analysis in Agnes Grey

The village rector at the church the Murray family attends, Mr. Hatfield is a vain, status-obsessed man who flatters his rich parishioners and threatens the poor ones with hell. He falls in love with and pursues the flirtatious Rosalie Murray. When she refuses his proposal of marriage, he threatens to spread damaging rumors about her flirtatious behavior unless she promises not to tell anyone that he proposed. Eventually he marries a rich older woman. His inability to get along with his new curate Mr. Weston, a less status-conscious and more sincerely religious man, eventually leads Mr. Weston to take another curacy on the coast near the small school founded by Agnes Grey and her mother Alice.

Mr. Hatfield Quotes in Agnes Grey

The Agnes Grey quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Hatfield or refer to Mr. Hatfield. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Education, Authority, and Class Theme Icon

But now and then he gave us a sermon of a different order—what some would call a very good one; but sunless and severe: representing the Deity as a terrible taskmaster, rather than a benevolent father. Yet, as I listened, I felt inclined to think the man was sincere in all he said: he must have changed his views, and become decidedly religious; gloomy and austere, yet still devout. But such illusions were usually dissipated, on coming out of church, by hearing his voice in jocund colloquy with some of the Melthams or Greens, or, perhaps, the Murrays themselves[.]

Related Characters: Agnes Grey (speaker), Mr. Hatfield

Page Number and Citation: 65

Explanation and Analysis:

“[W]hy, you must allow me some share of female vanity: I don’t pretend to be without that most essential attribute of our sex[.]”

Related Characters: Rosalie Murray (speaker), Agnes Grey, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Murray, Mr. Hatfield

Page Number and Citation: 97

Explanation and Analysis:

I thought of the poor man and his one lamb, and the rich man with his thousand flocks; and I dreaded I knew not what for Mr Weston, independently of my own blighted hopes.

Related Characters: Agnes Grey (speaker), Mr. Weston, Rosalie Murray, Mr. Hatfield

Page Number and Citation: 103

Explanation and Analysis:

[B]esides my hope in God, my only consolation was in thinking that, though he knew it not, I was more worthy of his love than Rosalie Murray, charming and engaging as she was; for I could appreciate his excellence, which she could not: I would devote my life to the promotion of his happiness; she would destroy his happiness for the momentary gratification of her own vanity.

Related Characters: Agnes Grey (speaker), Mr. Weston, Rosalie Murray, Sir Thomas Ashby, Mr. Hatfield

Page Number and Citation: 113

Explanation and Analysis:

Mr. Hatfield Character Timeline in Agnes Grey

The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Hatfield appears in Agnes Grey. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...not see as a serious prospect because he’s a younger son) and the village rector Mr. Hatfield . As an aside, Rosalie mentions that Mr. Hatfield has a new curate. When Agnes... (full context)

...prefers. Rosalie claims to scorn them all. Though Harry Meltham is the most entertaining and Mr. Hatfield the most intelligent, she guesses she’ll end up accepting Sir Ashby, the “wickedest.” Agnes asks... (full context)

Then Rosalie asks whether Agnes noticed how Mr. Hatfield hurried out of church to help the Murrays into their carriage. Agnes says yes—thinking to... (full context)

...Agnes is struck by the pleasant contrast of Mr. Weston’s strong, simple, truthful homily with Mr. Hatfield ’s sermons. Mr. Hatfield uses his sermons as opportunities to flash around his expensive rings,... (full context)

...he also speaks well—he visits the poor villagers often and is far more welcome than Mr. Hatfield . (full context)

Nancy explains to Agnes that Mr. Hatfield is always criticizing the poor villagers he visits. After Nancy became terrified that she couldn’t... (full context)

...Agnes for talking so much, but Agnes urges her to continue. Nancy explains that after Mr. Hatfield ’s visit, she did try to attend church—and the cold walks caused her eye inflammation,... (full context)

Nancy explains that Mr. Weston told her that Mr. Hatfield ’s advice to attend church was correct but incomplete: church is an aid to following... (full context)

...wife praise Mr. Weston, who visits them often. They consider Mr. Weston immensely superior to Mr. Hatfield , who visits hastily and is always criticizing the sick man’s wife. Mr. Weston even... (full context)

...Mrs. Murray asks why she can’t do it on the Murray property. She recounts how Mr. Hatfield finds Rosalie reading in “the fields and lanes” so often. Then she orders Agnes to... (full context)

Agnes exits the house and spots Rosalie walking with Mr. Hatfield in a field just beyond the Murrays’ property. Rosalie is holding a book in one... (full context)

Rosalie exclaims how glad she is that Agnes drove away Mr. Hatfield , whom she thought would never leave and whom she didn’t want Mr. Murray to... (full context)

When Agnes suggests that Mr. Hatfield would perhaps be a preferable match, Rosalie says he would—except that he doesn’t have Ashby... (full context)

Four days after Rosalie’s last meeting with Mr. Hatfield , she and Agnes are walking in the field when Rosalie abruptly announces that she... (full context)

...she cherishes—and she continues on. A beaming Rosalie rushes to meet her and announces that Mr. Hatfield has proposed and that she sternly rejected him. Telling Agnes the story, Rosalie explains that... (full context)

...to her mother that she was in no danger. She’s also happy to have “conquered” Mr. Hatfield —and to have demonstrated the self-command to reject a handsome suitor. Agnes asks whether she’s... (full context)

The next day, Rosalie is annoyed that Mr. Hatfield proposed so quickly. She’s bored now without parties to attend or Mr. Hatfield to flirt... (full context)

...with her into the village to shop. Agnes suspects Rosalie is hoping to run into Mr. Hatfield or some other admirer. After shopping, Rosalie runs into two young ladies she knows, and... (full context)

Unfortunately, Mr. Weston is likely to move away soon, as he and Mr. Hatfield have differing approaches and don’t get along. Agnes comforts herself with religion and with the... (full context)

...he left the Horton village church about a month before due to constant conflict with Mr. Hatfield . Then she says she must dress for dinner—and curses her judgmental mother-in-law right in... (full context)