Editing Isabel Navarro (section)

==Speech==

Mrs Navarro speaks in a precise, formal and commanding manner. She uses full names, titles and direct corrections, insisting on “ma’am” and proper forms of address. Her speech is often declarative rather than conversational, and she tends to state rules as though they are facts of nature.

Her language is stern and moralising. She often frames behaviour in terms of propriety, gender and discipline, as when she insists that young ladies should dress like ladies and young men should wear collars and ties. She does not ask for compliance; she assumes it. Even her politeness has an edge, because it is usually attached to an order or a warning.

She also uses pointed, memorable phrases, such as “going to is a debt that never clears” and “the less we see of each other, the better.” These make her sound sharp-minded, exacting and emotionally distant. When she is displeased, her tone becomes icy and prosecutorial, but she rarely raises her voice. Instead, she relies on controlled severity, which makes her more intimidating.

* “Good lord”
* “Child”