The Four Loves

by

C. S. Lewis

Mrs. Fidget Character Analysis

Lewis uses Mrs. Fidget as an example of distorted Gift-love. He describes her as a recently deceased woman whose family has been much happier since she died. Mrs. Fidget used to live for her family—making all their meals, waiting up for them at night, and generally fussing over them—even though her family begged her not to. He says that Mrs. Fidget’s kind of Gift-love is perverted because it wants the beloved to receive the gifts that only she can give; it “needs to be needed.” In contrast, divine Gift-love wants what’s best for the beloved, regardless of who gives it.
Get the entire The Four Loves LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Four Loves PDF

Mrs. Fidget Character Timeline in The Four Loves

The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Fidget appears in The Four Loves. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: Affection
Elements of Love Theme Icon
Disproportionate Love Theme Icon
Affection as a Gift-love can also be perverted. Lewis mentions a recently deceased woman named Mrs. Fidget , whose family has cheered up a lot since she died. Mrs. Fidget often claimed... (full context)
Elements of Love Theme Icon
Disproportionate Love Theme Icon
Transformation of Love Theme Icon
...tries to live on Affection, it will “go bad.” A grievance- and resentment-fueling love like Mrs. Fidget ’s actually contains a great deal of hate. It’s an example of how Affection, when... (full context)