Cordelia Flyte Character Analysis in Brideshead Revisited

Cordelia is the youngest child of Lord Marchmain and Lady Marchmain, and the younger sister of Brideshead, Julia, and Sebastian. Cordelia is still a child when Charles meets her. She is playful, naturally affectionate, and extremely compassionate. She is very much like Charles and often has a similar reaction to him about things. For example, when Rex Mottram brings Julia a tortoise which has had jewels put in its shell, they both immediately feel sorry for the poor animal. She and Charles are also connected by their unconditional love for Sebastian. While the rest of the family view Sebastian’s drinking as a nuisance which embarrasses them, and something that they wish to stamp out and control, Cordelia accepts Sebastian’s flaws and loves him, nonetheless. She even takes him whisky when he is suffering because she cannot bare to see him in pain. Cordelia is a devout Catholic and has a great deal of faith, although she does not understand the intellectual or moral arguments behind her religion. Charles thinks Cordelia is a “charming” child and is disappointed when she grows up to be a nun because he feels that she has squandered her potential and missed out on her chance at love and marriage. Cordelia does not view her life as a waste, however, as her role is useful and meaningful: she travels with an ambulance abroad and helps people who live in warzones. She believe that Charles is the one with a wasted life because, in her opinion, he has squandered his love to build a career for himself and to earn money. Cordelia remains a happy and optimistic character even though, in her work, she sees a great deal of suffering.

Cordelia Flyte Quotes in Brideshead Revisited

The Brideshead Revisited quotes below are all either spoken by Cordelia Flyte or refer to Cordelia Flyte. 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:

Innocence, Experience, and Redemption Theme Icon

For nearly ten dead years after that evening with Cordelia I was borne along a road outwardly full of change and incident, but never during that time, except sometimes in my painting—and that at longer and longer intervals—did I come alive as I had been during the time of my friendship with Sebastian. I took it to be youth, not life, that I was losing.

Related Characters: Charles Ryder (speaker), Sebastian Flyte, Cordelia Flyte

Page Number and Citation: 259

Explanation and Analysis:

Cordelia Flyte Character Timeline in Brideshead Revisited

The timeline below shows where the character Cordelia Flyte appears in Brideshead Revisited. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...he dislikes Julia, and Sebastian’s older brother, Brideshead, and knows nothing of the younger sister, Cordelia, except that her governess committed suicide. Lady Marchmain is a very beautiful, almost saintly woman,... (full context)

...is the only child in the family who does not despise his father, apart from Cordelia, who was very little when Lord Marchmain left. He thinks his mother wants him to... (full context)

Sebastian says his family are “mixed” in terms of religion. Brideshead and Cordelia are devout Catholics, while he and Julia are not. His mother is widely “believed to... (full context)

...when someone else appears on the roof and calls Sebastian’s name. It is his sister, Cordelia, who picks her way between the chimney stacks towards them. Sebastian tells Charles to cover... (full context)

...strange and serious. He seems much older than Sebastian even though he is not really. Cordelia tells them that she is in trouble at school because she will not do what... (full context)

...the Bishop wants to close their chapel because it does not get enough use, and Cordelia becomes upset. Brideshead asks Charles if the chapel is “Good Art” and Charles is confused... (full context)

After dinner, Brideshead takes Sebastian aside on some business, and Cordelia sits up with Charles. She asks him if he is genuinely agnostic and says that... (full context)

When Cordelia and Brideshead leave, Sebastian repeats his offer for Charles to come to Venice with him.... (full context)

...finds the rest of the family assembled. Charles tells them that Sebastian is ill, and Cordelia rushes upstairs before anyone can stop her. When she returns, she announces that Sebastian is... (full context)

...book. He realizes that she does want him to spy on Sebastian. As Charles leaves, Cordelia asks him to give Sebastian “her special love.” (full context)

...attacked by “a band” of brigands. Lady Marchmain thinks he means a musical band, and Cordelia desperately stifles giggles beside Charles. Everyone is bored with Mr. Samgrass’s stories. Sebastian sits in... (full context)

Mr. Samgrass gives them a slideshow of his photographs from the trip, and Cordelia complains that there are none of Sebastian. Mr. Samgrass says the Sebastian took the photos.... (full context)

The next day, Charles, Sebastian, and Cordelia visit the nursery, and Cordelia remarks that Sebastian seems unhappy. Nanny Hawkins thinks he looks... (full context)

Cordelia leaves for her supper, and Charles and Sebastian go downstairs to have cocktails. They find... (full context)

...Marchmain asks who will go out on the fox hunt the next day. Brideshead and Cordelia say they will, but Julia says she must stay in to meet Rex when he... (full context)

The next morning, the family get ready to go out for the hunt. Cordelia complains that Sebastian isn’t wearing proper hunting clothes, but Sebastian claims that he could not... (full context)

...him to a rehab center in Zurich which is run by a man Rex knows. Cordelia returns from the hunt and is horrified by the tortoise. She thinks it must be... (full context)

Charles goes back to Paris and, three weeks later, receives a letter from Cordelia. She writes that she misses Charles and that she has also got into trouble for... (full context)

...gave Mr. Samgrass away. Rex says that Lady Marchmain finally crumbled when she discovered that Cordelia gave Sebastian whisky every night. Rex also tells Charles that Lady Marchmain is very ill,... (full context)

...that Rex has some very odd ideas about what Catholicism involves. It becomes clear that Cordelia has told him these things to tease him. Eventually the priest deems Rex converted, and... (full context)

...his previous marriage a secret and just get married anyway. Julia agrees to this, but Cordelia tells Julia she hates her and storms out of the room. (full context)

Julia explains that Cordelia forgave her and agreed to be her bridesmaid. Everyone felt sorry for Lady Marchmain, who... (full context)

While Charles works, Cordelia comes into the room and watches. When he is finished for the day, he takes... (full context)

Charles asks Cordelia where she will live, and she says she doesn’t know. Lord Marchmain will not return... (full context)

Cordelia says that she loved her mother but “not in the way she deserved.” She thinks... (full context)

Charles dismisses the idea of Cordelia as a nun and tells her that she will “fall in love” instead. He is... (full context)

For 10 years after his dinner with Cordelia, Charles appears to live an eventful life. However, on the inside, he feels that nothing... (full context)

...Charles says that he did. She tells him that Sebastian has completely vanished, and that Cordelia works for an ambulance in Spain. Brideshead lives in Brideshead Castle and is a strange,... (full context)

Wilcox comes in and tells them that Cordelia is on her way home and will arrive that night. Julia is delighted. She tells... (full context)

When Cordelia arrives, Charles is surprised to find that she has grown up “ugly.” He thinks her... (full context)

...is reminded of him constantly by Brideshead and by Julia. The next day, he asks Cordelia to tell him everything she knows about Sebastian (full context)

Cordelia says that she heard Sebastian was dying and so went to Tunis to find him.... (full context)

One day, the monks found Sebastian unconscious outside the monastery and took him in. Cordelia stayed with him while he was ill, and the day before she left, he told... (full context)

...Morocco and decided that he must travel somewhere away from civilization and become a missionary. Cordelia says that he is too weak to ever do this, but the monks will let... (full context)

Charles asks Cordelia if she has told Julia. Cordelia says that she has but that Julia never loved... (full context)

...to take over the family home, and they rent a villa elsewhere. Charles, Julia, and Cordelia remain at Brideshead to greet Lord Marchmain, who arrives after the New Year. Plender arrives... (full context)

Cordelia takes charge of her father’s care and sits up with him on the first night.... (full context)

Cordelia and Cara side with Brideshead, but Charles still strongly objects. Julia becomes irritated when he... (full context)

Cordelia and Brideshead take him into the room, but the three exit a moment later and... (full context)

...says that Brideshead is nitpicking and that Lord Marchmain made himself clear, but Cara and Cordelia still hold out hope. Charles asks them to explain exactly why a priest is important,... (full context)

...priest is important. Cara says that when she dies, she will have a priest, and Cordelia says this is the best idea. When Charles and Julia go to bed, she complains... (full context)

Lord Marchmain is given an oxygen tank to help him breathe. He asks Cordelia what happened to the chapel at Brideshead, and she says it has been closed. Lord... (full context)

In mid-July, Cordelia goes to London for the day and Lord Marchmain suddenly takes a turn for the... (full context)

Cordelia Flyte Character Analysis

Cordelia Flyte Quotes in Brideshead Revisited

Part 3, Chapter 1 Quotes

Cordelia Flyte Character Timeline in Brideshead Revisited