Cordelia Flyte Character Analysis

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.