Mrs. Bute Character Analysis in Vanity Fair

Mrs. Bute is the wife of Bute and a notorious busybody who knows all the gossip of Queen’s Crawley due to her connections with the servants. Although Mrs. Bute becomes a nurse to the ailing Miss Crawley and tries to use this time to convince Miss Crawley to leave her vast fortune to Bute and Mrs. Bute, ultimately Mrs. Bute is unsuccessful. Mrs. Bute’s extreme attentiveness ends up annoying Miss Crawley, and, as a result, she loses out on the inheritance.

Mrs. Bute Character Timeline in Vanity Fair

The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Bute appears in Vanity Fair. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...fights in general, and he is more popular in town than his brother. His wife, Mrs. Bute Crawley , runs their household efficiently. Bute and Sir Pitt have many reasons to disagree with... (full context)

Mrs. Bute pays attention to everything that happens in Queen’s Crawley, and so she soon learns a... (full context)

...Pitt, whom he always insults. At an evening dance, Rawdon compliments Becky on her dancing. Mrs. Bute also compliments her. Later, she starts asking Becky to take Violet and Rose over to... (full context)

Becky soon finds out that Mrs. Bute is using her as an excuse to try to bring Bute and Sir Pitt’s families... (full context)

While Rawdon is there, he tells Mrs. Bute that he thinks he might love Becky, since he can tell that Mrs. Bute is... (full context)

Mrs. Bute hears about Becky and Rawdon’s marriage, and she goes immediately to support Miss Crawley. Miss... (full context)

...continue to live comfortably, and their marriage still hasn’t been published in the local paper. Mrs. Bute , however, begins spreading the news. Rawdon mostly lives on credit, and he has many... (full context)

With Becky gone, Mrs. Bute starts caring for Miss Crawley and slowly turning her against Rawdon. She also encourages Miss... (full context)

Miss Crawley’s doctor discusses her situation with the apothecary, suggesting that Mrs. Bute is so stressful that she’ll kill Miss Crawley in two months. The apothecary tells Mrs.... (full context)

...them that it’s too dangerous. Later that evening, Rawdon gets a note from Becky that Mrs. Bute is gone, so he should collect the money George owes him (from gambling). Rawdon does... (full context)

Miss Crawley has been in Brighton this whole time, with Mrs. Bute by her side, and she doesn’t get to see Rawdon, Becky, or the others. But... (full context)

...tells her about her and Rawdon’s love story. Becky lies, making it seem as if Mrs. Bute purposely tried to orchestrate her and Rawdon’s marriage. The friend buys this story and believes... (full context)

...walk with Rawdon. She figures out that Becky was trying to win her favor while Mrs. Bute was gone and suddenly forbids Becky from entering her home. Miss Crawley sends a letter... (full context)

Meanwhile, while Mrs. Bute had hoped to gain favor with Miss Crawley by taking care of her (until Bute’s... (full context)

...Lady Jane for seven years, but he doesn’t feel any impatience. Over at the rectory, Mrs. Bute learns of how Pitt Crawley is trying to charm Miss Crawley. She decides to send... (full context)

...in, and Miss Crawley smells it. That one pipe of tobacco likely costs Bute and Mrs. Bute thousands of pounds. (full context)

Bute, Mrs. Bute , and James continue to be disappointed by their unexpectedly small inheritance from Miss Crawley.... (full context)

...takes the opportunity to look for keys to open some of Sir Pitt’s drawers, but Mrs. Bute arrives on the scene and accuses her of being a thief. Mrs. Bute wants to... (full context)

...and soon learns of how many lawsuits and other disputes Sir Pitt was involved with. Mrs. Bute ends up never carrying out any of her threats against Miss Horrocks. While he's still... (full context)

...Queen’s Crawley on Christmas Day. Becky pretends to put aside her grudge against Bute and Mrs. Bute . The Butes all compliment Rawdy, who would become heir if anything ever happened to... (full context)