Catherine adored her father more than anything and was very much afraid of him; she thought of him the cleverest and handsomest and most celebrated of men (James). Catherine's father said of her " no young man will ever be in love with Catherine" (James 34). Believing that, Doctor Sloper clearly instructed Aunt Penniman to try and make clever woman out of Catherine.
It is at Mrs. Almond's daughter, Marian's engagement party that Catherine meets her beau, Morris Townsend. Here he fills Catherine up with his charm and false pledges of love, that Catherine's sincere heart falls victim to a good-looking fortune hunter. .
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Her father forbade her to love Mr. Townsend for that he only wanted Catherine's sizable inheritance. Doctor Sloper assumed that because of Catherine's meek disposition, she was as dull in the head as she was in the face. Austin Sloper is completely against any kind of engagement between Catherine and Morris Townsend. Catherine is certain that her love for Morris and her infinite patience will sway her father. He believes time and distance will open his daughter's eyes to Morris" true character. Doctor Sloper takes Catherine to Europe hoping to dissolve of the relationship between the two. She is blinded by her love for Morris making it impossible for her to see any truth in her father's factual prediction. Her father threatens to disinherit her if she is to marry Townsend. Once she returns from Europe, Townsend abandons her. As Doctor Sloper is dying he ask of one thing from Catherine. That is for her to never see Morris again, however she denies the request leaving her father to die alone. At the end of the novel her father's will is revealed, which is at first dedicated to her and then revised leaving her only one-fifth of what she had before. Morris Townsend comes back after her father's death to claim her and her inheritance. Despite her refusal of her father's request, she denies Mr.
