Mrs Van Hopper - Charater Sketch - Rebecca - Daphne du Mauri

            
            
             Mrs Van Hopper is a very prominent charater. She is a loud, American, snob who travels around the globe with her "Companion- (the narrator). She is always in search of meeting anyone even remotely famous. She is a complete contrast from the shy and quiet narrator of the story who "Trailed in the wake of Mrs Van Hopper like a shy, uneasy colt."" .
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             Mrs Van Hopper's physical appearance is that of a rather large but expensively dressed, fashion conscious woman. Mrs Van Hopper is probably in her 50s. We can tell that she is overweight and small when the narrator tells us that she has a "short body ill-balanced upon tottering high heels."" We can also tell this as she has "Small pig eyes."" These eyes suggest that she has a lot of fat around the face almost covering her eyes. She spends a lot of money on her clothes as in chapter three she was having a dressmaker come to her suite. She wears large dresses which "Compliment her large bosom and swinging hips."" She always carries a Lorgnette with her, which she uses to "Examine- people with. Everything about her is described as being large and extravagant. This gives us a sense of her being an overpowering, noticeable person. .
             Mrs Van Hopper talks in a "sharp and staccato- voice. She does not waste time in her words but gets straight to the point and about what she wants to know. She talks loudly and does not mind what she says or who hears. She tries to impress people by trying to be polite, well spoken and sound posh. This makes herself feel superior.
             Mrs Van Hopper enjoys the "High Life."" She likes to eat plenty of good food and mealtimes seem to be of great importance to her. In the book so far she has spent a great deal of time sipping coffee or having a three-course meal in a restaurant. This is the prime area for meeting distinguished individuals. She is extremely wealthy and has the best of everything in life. She even pays the narrator as a companion to travel around with her from country to country in search of the stars of the day, as she has no other way to spend her money.