Can you help with my dissertation?

[Tizzy]

Hello! Right people I need your help for something I wish to include in my dissertation. I need as many examples of well-known novels etc where people describe character's faces and relates their features to their type of personality. For example ' 'he has a sharp nose reflecting his sharp mind and wit'. I have one example already; 'I knew my traveller with his broad and jetty eyebrows; his square forehead, made squarer by the horizontal sweep of his black hair. I recognised his decisive nose, more remarkable for character than beauty; his full nostrils, denoting, I thought, choler; his grim mouth, chin and jaw ' yes all three were very grim, and no mistake.' (Bronte, 1847, p. 142). This exert is in Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, as she studies her employer, Mr Rochester as he sits by the fire. So do any of you know of any other examples? It would be greatly appreciated! T x

[banana]

Is this any help? http://functi0n1.tripod.com/thegreatgatsby/profile
s.html

[Tizzy]

That is absolutely perfect!! Thank u Banana!!! T x

[incitatus]

virtually every sherlock holmes story

[Dave Potts]

I seem to recall that Thomas Hardy's "The Trumpet Major" went into great detail with its description of Anne Garland and how her appearance reflected her personality - "She was fair, very fair, but in complexion she was of that particular tint between blonde and brunette which was inconveniently left without a name" (sic) - "her eyes were honest and enquiring" - her mouth "clean cut yet not classical" - the rest escapes me but lots of stuff along those lines - sadly I don't have a copy and I can't find the descriptive passage online. Maybe another Hardy fan can oblige?

[kags]

In the first few pages of Little Women, Louisa M Alcott describes Jo as having" a decided mouth, a comical nose, and sharp, gray eyes, which appeared to see everything, and were by turns fierce, funny or thoughtful". the description of Jo's physical appearance continues until we think we know her character just from the way she looks. Are you interested in examples from contemporary authors as well?

[kags]

Have a look at Lady Chatterly's lover by D H LAwrence. At the start of chapter 7 there are several paragraphs in which Connie examines herself in a mirror and relates all her physical characteristics to the lack of meaning she sees in her own life - I know these are not specifically facial characteristics, but it is such a clever & detailed analogy it may be of some use. Earlier in the book, in Chapter 2, Clifford is described - "his eyes at the same time bold and frightened, assured and uncertain, revealed his nature. His manner was often offensively supercilious, and then again modest & self-effacing, almost tremulous.

[kags]

me again - the text I was referring to is here http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/32/68/frameset.html

[karry]

Tess of the D'urb-Hardy. The big beauty Tess with her big lush red lips and all that jazz. Hardy fancied her character and he tried it on with every actress who played her (even at the ripe old age of 81!) she represented a temptress (even though she was pure) and the colour red is featured throughout the novel to represent lust and danger