Flora Poste
Overview
Flora Poste is the 19 year old heroine of the novel.
She parodies female characters such as Jane
Austen’s Emma who was known for meddling in
the affairs of other characters.
Flora is from a wealthy background and Gibbons
mocks her lack of social and financial
independence early on in the novel. After her
parents’ death, Flora firstly stays with her friend
Mrs Smiling, before deciding to take up the offer of
staying at Cold Comfort Farm with the Starkadders.
Overview 2
Flora finds the Farm a culture shock but soon
settles into the matriarchal world by throwing
herself into her ‘quest’ - to solve the problems she
perceives to be troubling each character.
When she has tackled each of these problems she
moves onto the largest problem at the Farm: Aunt
Ada Doom. Refusing to be beaten, Flora succeeds
in her task and soon the Farm is unrecognisable.
Her work now done, Flora receives her own happy
ending when Charles ‘rescues’ her from the Farm
and the two get married.
Flora’s Solutions
The novel ends when Flora, with the aid of her handbook The Higher Common Sense,
has solved each character's problem. These solutions are:
■Meriam: Flora introduces her to the concept of
contraception.
■Seth: Flora introduces him to a Hollywood film director,
Earl P. Neck, who hires him as a screen idol.
■Amos: Flora persuades him to buy a Ford van and
become a travelling preacher. He loses interest in running
the farm and hands it over to Reuben.
■Elfine: Flora teaches her some social graces and dress
sense so that Richard Hawk-Monitor falls in love with her.
Flora’s Solutions
■Judith: Flora hires a psychoanalyst, Dr Müdel, who, over
lunch, transfers Judith's obsession from Seth to himself
until he can set her interest on old churches instead.
■Ada: Flora uses a copy of Vogue magazine to tempt her
to join the 20th century, and spend some of her fortune
on living the high life in Paris.
■Adam: is given a job as cow-herd at Hautcouture Hall.
■Rueben: inherits the farm after Amos leaves to preach,
and in the 1995 movie, gets together with Rennet.
■Flora: marries Charles.
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Flora’s Solutions
Urk: forgets his desire for Elfine and marries
Meriam.
Mr Mybug: falls in love with and marries Rennet.
Graceless, Aimless, Feckless, and Pointless: go
with Adam to Hautcouture Hall
Big Business: Flora lets him out into the sunlight.
Key Themes
• Social Class
• Friendship / Relationships / Marriage
• Power/Influence
• Gender
• Family
• Loneliness
• Work
Key Quotes
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‘The education bestowed on Flora Poste by her parents
had been expensive, athletic and prolonged.’ (p9)
‘My marriage, Mary, will be arranged into Heaven.’ (p14)
‘I cannot endure messes.’ (p19)
‘She had her way.’ (p50)
‘Robert Poste’s child.’ (various page references)
‘…who was prepared to hear anything at Cold Comfort,
even that all the family was kept in order by a
domineering ghost.’ (p56)
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Key Quotes
‘If she intended to tidy up life at Cold Comfort, she would
find herself opposed at every turn by the influence of Aunt
Ada.’ (p57)
‘She will be taken in hand at once,’ (p61)
‘…a feeling of gloom which was as unusual as it was
disagreeable.’ (p74)
‘She-woman. Young, soft-coloured, insolent.’ (p78)
‘I have not met my aunt yet,’ (p85)
‘She knew that intellectuals always made a great fuss about
the titles of their books.’ (p104)
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Key Quotes
‘As for Flora, she was quite enjoying herself. She was
mixed up in a good many plots.’ (p109)
‘Ay you.’ She patiently dropped into Starkadder.’ (p118)
‘This was the first sign of humanity she had encountered
among the Starkadders, and she was moved by it. She
felt like stout Cortez…’ (p120)
‘Flora was justly indignant, but concealed her nasty
temper.’ (p125)
‘She stood there, idly waving the teapot, and trying to
remember all she had ever read about the habits of bulls.’
(p138)
Key Quotes
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‘Flora knew that she did not look so beautiful as Elfine,
but, then, she did not want to. She knew that she looked
distinguished, elegant and interesting. She asked for
nothing more.’ (p159)
‘Seth obeyed Flora without a word.’ (p185)
‘That would be delightful,’ agreed Flora, thinking how
nasty and boring it would be.’ (p190)
‘But Flora was not satisfied.’ (p198)
‘Goodnight, Cousin Flora. ‘Twere a good day for Cold
Comfort when first ‘ee came here,’ he said, looking down
at her.’ (p211)
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Key Quotes
‘Wreaths of cottage flowers, like chains of little gems, hung
from the rafters.’ (p214)
‘And I really am rather tired. I would like to be fetched…if
you could…’ (p228)
‘It was purest happiness to see him. It was like meeting
again a dearest friend whom one has loved for long years,
and missed in silence.’ (p232)
‘Tomorrow would be a beautiful day.’ (p233)