Cornelia Robson Character Analysis

Cornelia Robson is the cousin of Miss Van Schuyler (who also travels with her nurse, Miss Bowers). She is largely a passive character, putting up with the controlling behavior of her older cousin throughout the trip. During the ride on the Karnak, she attracts the attention of some of the male characters, particularly the ones who like to talk, like Dr. Bessner and Ferguson. At one point, Cornelia turns down a proposal from Ferguson, even after he keeps insisting. After Ferguson insults Linnet and her family, Cornelia defends her, even though her own father was financially ruined by Linnet’s. Ultimately, Cornelia surprises everyone—especially Miss Van Schuyler and Ferguson—by announcing that she’s engaged to Dr. Bessner. Though Cornelia grows a little bit of courage over the course of the story, it’s implied that her engagement to Dr. Bessner isn’t really that favorable—it’s just a lot better than being stuck with Miss Van Schuyler. At the same time, Cornelia’s impending marriage offers a different view of romantic relationships from the others depicted in the novel—one that is founded less on actual romance than on shared interests and reliability.