The vicar’s wife continues, “…and expose John as an imposter. I wanted it to happen, and not only for Ianthe’s good.” Wow! What a confession! The vicar’s wife – who we thought should be friends with Ianthe – disapproved of her marriage to John. Why? She thought John was, as the title of this novel indicates, unsuitable. In what way? He was of a lower class than Ianthe. One of the things I love about Barbara Pym’s novels is that the people don’t behave the way they’re supposed to. Virtuous people take cheap shots, and imposters turn out to be truly good.
Pym, Barbara. An Unsuitable Attachment. Moyer Bell, 2008, p. 254.