Pride

Pride is central in the novel Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. Julia Springer is a prideful woman, the widow of one of the most important men in town, Wesley Lloyd Springer. Wesley Lloyd had owned his own bank, and was a central figure in the small town of Abbotsville, North Carolina. Not many people in the area made an important decision without consulting Wesley Lloyd first. After forty-four years of marriage, Julia has grown accustomed to being respected as the wife of such an influential man, and her pride shows.

At the outset of the novel, Julia acknowledges her pride, but feels that she has earned it by being the wife of such an important man. The arrival of Little Lloyd, Wesley Lloyd's illegitimate son, changes things instantly for Julia. The thought that her neighbors and friends might find out about her husband's secret life is made worse...