Mrs. Lemuel Struthers

Character Analysis

Mrs. Struthers struts onto the New York society scene on the wings of … shoe polish. That's right: her husband made his name selling shoe polish (she's rumored to have met him as a model for one of his advertisements, scandal-scandal), and his wealth has catapulted Mrs. Struthers into high society. Also, his name is Lemuel. That’s not a baby name that’s high in popularity these days.

Archer's circle would love to rid themselves of Mrs. Struthers, because they view her as common and vulgar. But the more open-minded set such as Julius Beaufort, the Duke of St. Austrey and Madame Olenska enjoy her musical Sunday evenings.

Mrs. Struthers eventually becomes part of fashionable New York, and the people who once shunned her now appear at her events. Good for you, Mrs. Struthers. Get it, girl.