Line #112 Main/MaidenAunt


1	She is your favourite elderly relative. Never married, never thought about marrying, never had a boyfriend or a lover--or at least if she did you don't know about it. She is grey-haired, old-fashioned, conservative, prim, proper, prudish, strait-laced, and disapproving of anything new-fangled. She wears basic black with lace at the collar and cuffs and when she goes out she puts on a hat that is no longer fashionable. But she dotes on her nieces and nephews, and fusses over the local parson and the friendly neighborhood policeman.
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3	Although unmarried elderly women have always existed, the Maiden Aunt as a trope first arose in the 1880s. Historically, women had shorter lifespans than men because of [[DeathByChildbirth the dangers of childbirth]]; many men married more than once, meaning that any woman who didn't marry at a young age had a good chance of marrying later on. But in the mid-[[UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain Victorian era]] women's life expectancies increased due to advances in modern medicine while men's lifespans decreased (or at least didn’t go up as quickly), partly due to civilian conscription during wartime and--as we know now--partly due to increasing use of [[TheSmokingSection tobacco]]. Suddenly there were myriads, even millions of women who had no chance of marrying and, unlike unmarried men, had little chance of immigrating to a place where they could find a spouse. Decades later, these women reached old age and became known as maiden aunts.
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5	They were especially thick on the ground in the US in the 1900-1930 period and in the Commonwealth in the 1950-1980 period--these were the women whose potential husbands died in UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar and in UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, respectively. In the 1920s they were often known as "Victorian aunts", because they had grown up in (and for the most part never quite left) the Victorian era. Often also called "spinsters" and "{{old maid}}s", although the latter term is usually discredited as offensive nowadays. If you were born in TheSixties you may remember how incredibly common they were, both in fiction and in RealLife.
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7	Of course, many real-life women remained unmarried for reasons other than the one stated above. Some were lesbians, some were UsefulNotes/{{asexual}} or UsefulNotes/{{aromantic}}, some preferred a career to marriage, some gave up the chance of marriage to look after aging parents, and some simply didn't want the bother of a husband and family. Some are kindly and sweet, some are bitter and angry, some are in a {{Cloudcuckooland}}. Often played straight in mysteries and for laughs in comedies. There aren't many subversions out there--younger audiences are usually {{squick}}ed by any hint of sexuality in an older woman.
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9	A [[{{subtrope}} type]] of OldMaid. May be a MoralGuardian or a NosyNeighbor (or both). Compare LittleOldLadyInvestigates. Comic book maiden aunts may be susceptible to {{Nephewism}}.
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11	----
12	!!Examples:
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14	[[foldercontrol]]
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16	[[folder:Comic Books]]
17	* ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'': Aunt May fits parts of this trope, though she's a widow and went back to dating after Uncle Ben died. She was with [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Edwin Jarvis]] for a while, but then [[ComicBook/SecretInvasion it turns out]] that ''that'' Jarvis ''[[TheMole ain't]]'' Jarvis. You're a Parker, May--your love life's gonna be chaos, it's the law! She's more of a Maiden Aunt in the newspaper comics than in the comic books.
18	** She does end up dating once more and even remarrying... to ''J. Jonah Jameson's '''father.''''' JJJ and Peter Parker were more than a little shocked by it.
19	** Anna Watson, MJ's aunt and May's best friend, is a Maiden Aunt to a certain extent as well (or at least the favorite relative and unmarried part).
20	[[/folder]]
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22	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
23	* Aunts Jane and Abigail Prim of ''ComicStrip/TheAdventuresOfPrudencePrim'' are the dowdy, straight-laced chaperones of the titular Prudence. They wear frumpy old gowns and frown on anything modern or risqué (especially the fun and fashion that Prudence delights in) -- but they do love their niece dearly. When Prudence moves in with her aunts to get a taste of big-city life they pay her way financially, allowing her to use their "charge account" to purchase new clothes and bringing her along on vacations to the sea shore and the mountains. As described in their introduction:
24	-->Miss Prudy Prim's ancestors had been stern and stalwart men.\
25	No sort of gay frivolity was was ever in their ken.\
26	They never saw a motor, they never heard of jazz;\
27	They hadn't half the wisdom that a modern infant has.\
28	And Prudy's Aunts, who lived in town, were likewise of that ilk;\
29	They wore old-fashioned collars, and rustling, stiff black silk.\
30	They walked with mincing footsteps; they were formal as could be;\
31	And crooked out their little fingers when they sipped their China tea.
32	[[/folder]]
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34	[[folder:Fan Works]]
35	* In ''Fanfic/TheLadyOfRiversAndStorms'', Celia Tully became this to Hoster Tully and his brother Brynden. After Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen (later King Jaehaerys II) scorned his betrothed Celia by [[BrotherSisterIncest marrying his sister Shaera]], Celia wound up never finding another man to marry and bore the brunt of the blame from her father. Her fate casts a long shadow over Lysa and her main focus in life is not winding up like her.
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38	[[folder: Film]]
39	* In ''Film/FourDaughters'', Aunt Etta Lemp lives with her brother Adam and looks after Adam's titular four daughters. Made even odder in that no explanation is given for [[MissingMom the whereabouts of Adam's wife]].
40	* American actress Zasu Pitts was typecast in later life as a Maiden Aunt, appearing in dozens of movies and television shows.
41	* Subverted in ''Aren't Men Beasts?'' (1937), in which the father of a slandered groom dresses up as a Maiden Aunt in order to clear his son of any wrongdoing.
42	* Aunt Minerva in ''The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story''.
43	* When [[Film/ItsAWonderfulLife George Bailey]] gets the chance to find out how the world would have turned out if he'd never been born, he finds that his wife Mary had become a bitter, unhappy Maiden Aunt.
44	* Most 40s and 50s series comedies featured Maiden Aunts, including the ''Mexican Spitfire'' series (Aunt Delia).
45	* Tim Burton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'' had Aunt Imogen. She wasn't so much "single" as "engaged to a prince who doesn't exist".
46	* The main character's aunt in ''Film/{{Hausu}}'' due to her fiance being drafted to fight in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and dying in battle.
47	* In ''Film/TheHeiress'', Catherine ends up as a Maiden Aunt, doting on the children of her cousin Marian, who call her "Aunt Catherine".
48	* Aunt Fanny in ''The Magnificent Ambersons.''
49	* ''Film/AnchorsAweigh'' has Aunt Susie, who is not old but has a young nephew who she takes care of.
50	* ''Film/DoctorInDistress1963'': On the topic of old folk remedies, Sir Lancelot tells Dr. Sparrow about his maiden aunt who always has garlic on her skin:
51	-->'''Sir Lancelot:''' You know... you're quite wrong to despise these old folk remedies. I've got a maiden aunt who ''swears'' by garlic. Never without a bit next to skin. I'm convinced that's why she's lived to be 92.
52	-->'''Dr. Sparrow:''' Perhaps that's why she's still a ''maiden'' at 92.
53	[[/folder]]
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55	[[folder: Literature]]
56	* Creator/AgathaChristie's Literature/MissMarple plays this trope straight. When first introduced, she is a Victorian Aunt; in one of her last appearances in 1965, she alludes to having a Victorian Aunt. (Victoria reigned for 64 years until 1901, so if Miss Marple was born towards the end of the 19th century, as seems likely, her aunt(s) were almost certainly Victorian as well.)
57	* Creator/DorothyLSayers' Miss Climpson. We don't meet any actual family members for her to be an aunt to, but in one book she pretends Chief Inspector Parker is her nephew.
58	* In Creator/AndreNorton's Literature/WitchWorld novel ''The Crystal Gryphon'', Joisan's aunt, Dame Math, entered a religious order after an ArrangedMarriage fell through upon the death of the groom. She left her order (but was still called 'Dame') after her brother was widowed, and ran his household for the rest of her life.
59	* The protagonist of Patricia Wentworth's ''Literature/MaudSilver'': a [[LittleOldLadyInvestigates governess who became a private investigator]]. She plays this trope straight -- most of the stories show her writing letters to her nieces in her spare time, and she is at least an Edwardian (if not Victorian) throwback in terms of hairstyle, taste in interior decoration, and her love for Tennyson's poetry.
60	* Creator/PatriciaCWrede's and Creator/CarolineStevermer's ''Literature/SorceryAndCecelia'' has Aunt Elizabeth (who is chaperoning Cecy back home in the country) and Aunt Charlotte (chaperoning Kate and Georgina in London). At one point one of the girls speculates that Aunt Elizabeth is still unmarried because of a Grave Disappointment in her Youth (which turns out to be true, in a manner of speaking). Subverted in that [[spoiler:Elizabeth gets married to Mr. Wrexton in the end.]]
61	* Granny Weatherwax of Literature/{{Discworld}} plays this to the whole population of her home village of Bad Ass. She's by far the most suspicious and conservative of the witches seen, as well as one of the most powerful, and her title of "Granny" is definitely only honorary, considering that she can tame {{unicorn}}s.
62	* Creator/LMMontgomery had a lot of these in her stories -- but considering when they were written, that's not surprising.
63	* In the ''Literature/FamilyTreeSeries'' Abby's youngest sister Adele never gets married or has children, unlike her older sisters Rose and Abby. Instead she serves as the CoolAunt to Abby's daughter Dana--letting her move in after she wants to return to New York City--and later, grandniece, Francie. [[spoiler:[[TopicOfCancer She is diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 1980s]] and eventually dies of it.]]
64	* The Widow Douglas from Creator/MarkTwain's works set in St. Petersburg, MO should count: Elderly, Wealthy, Conservative, no family mentioned, cares for the main cast...
65	* Superficially following the schoolmarm stereotype is ''Franchise/HarryPotter'''s Dolores Umbridge. When she's introduced, she's actually described as looking like "somebody's maiden aunt" and she affects the mannerisms of one, including an apparent love of cats. But it's only a thin veneer hiding a power-hungry sadist.
66	* Rose's great-aunts Peace and Plenty in Louisa May Alcott's ''Literature/EightCousins'' and ''Rose in Bloom'' are this. No reason is ever given for why Plenty didn't marry, but it's explained that Peace was WidowedAtTheWedding and [[TheMourningAfter she never recovered from the shock.]]
67	** The trope is actually mentioned in the narrative, pointing out that sometimes, nieces and nephews get excellent surrogate parents in "bachelor uncles and maiden aunts." This makes sense, since protagonist Rose is now being raised by her bachelor uncle with the help of his own maiden aunts.
68	* The title character in Patrick Dennis' ''Literature/AuntieMame'' is a notable subversion of the trope. Mame is a lot of things but 'maidenly' is not among them.
69	* Matilda in ''Literature/TheFullMatilda'', but without the caring part. If anything she's more of a DeadpanSnarker. The book deconstructs her reasons for being one.
70	* ''Literature/TheHardyBoys'' have Aunt Gertrude, a classic example of the trope. She often scolds the Hardys for their dangerous exploits while secretly cheering them on, and occasionally offers up some wisdom that gives them a hint of what direction to go next.
71	* Angus Wilson's short horror story ''Raspberry Jam'' involves a young boy going to visit two maiden aunts, but unknown to him they have recently been released from a mental asylum. It doesn't end well.
72	* In ''Literature/{{Emma}}'', Miss Bates is a resident spinster who never married and there isn't any mention of a romantic past. She's popular with people, takes care of her old widowed mother, and adores her niece Jane Fairfax who is an orphan, but was adopted by her late father's friend.
73	* In ''Literature/TheFrenchLieutenantsWoman'', Aunt Tranter is an old maid, though she's referred to as Mrs. Tranter (at the time, it was common to refer to unmarried women past a certain age as Mrs. as a courtesy), who is a kindly woman and satisfied with her lot in life. She adores her niece Ernestina and she's a very good mistress to her servants. She's particularly fond of and even motherly to Mary (her servant girl).
74	* In Sue Grafton's alphabet series, Kinsey Millhone was raised by her Aunt Gin after the deaths of her parents.
75	* In the Colleen [=McCullough=] novel ''Literature/TheTouch'', the protagonist looks back over her 20-year loveless marriage and decides it was still better than being a maiden aunt in her native Scotland.
76	* In the Literature/SweetValleyHigh novel ''The Wakefields of Sweet Valley'', Ted Wakefield thinks he's being raised by one of these because his parents died in a train crash, but the reader knows that she actually ''is'' his mother and concocted the story to hide the fact that he's illegitimate.
77	* Adelheid von Stechlin is this to Woldemar in ''Literature/DerStechlin''.
78	* Gwen's great aunt Madeleine in ''Literature/TheRubyRedTrilogy'' who lives in the MultigenerationalHousehold that's headed by her sister-in-law and Gwen's grandmother Lady Arista.
79	* Maisie Dobbs in the eponymous mystery series is one to her best friend's children, even though in the early part of the series she is in her mid-20's.
80	* ''Literature/TheAnderssons''. Ida Sofia is the proper och straight-laced aunt/great-aunt, who has no interest in men and no kids. She has five nieces and two nephews though, and she will do anything for them. There is more to her than what you might believe though. Despite how prudish she might appear (she is notably very keen on criticizing her sister Greta for being too frivolous), she's really ''not'' conservative politically. The reason why she has no interest in men becomes clear too: it is revealed that she "prefers women".
81	* ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' features a few of these, including Diana's aunt Josephine (who seems at first austere and aloof but eventually dotes on Anne) and Priscilla's aunt Jamesina. The characters of Lavender Lewis and Janet Sweet first appear to be more examples of this trope but eventually subvert it by marrying late in life.
82	** The books' most recent adaptation, ''Series/AnneWithAnE'' establishes Josephine as a lesbian and as a far more liberal and bohemian character than she was in the books.
83	* ''Literature/TheMagiciansNephew:'' The titular magician lives with his sister, Digory's Aunt Letty. While somewhat fitting the trope, she gets a surprisingly fun moment when she sees the dimension-hopping [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Jadis]], assumes that she's a drunk circus performer and tells her off. Jadis [[SuperStrength throws her across the room]], but Letty (who was fortunate enough to land on a mattress) just gets up and calls the police.
84	* In ''Literature/TheSorrowsOfSatan'', Lady Sibyl's aunt Charlotte never married, and instead lives with the family to help care for Sibyl's mother, who was paralyzed by strokes.
85	[[/folder]]
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87	[[folder: Live Action TV]]
88	* Miss Emily and Miss Mamie Baldwin on ''Series/TheWaltons''.
89	* Aunt Bee on ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow''.
90	* Aunt Ellen on ''Series/BrendonChase''.
91	* Aunt Harriet on the 1960s ''Series/Batman1966'' live-action program.
92	* Nugie on ''Series/TheGaleStormShow''.
93	* Doña Clotilde in ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho'' is a surprisingly more sexual (or at least romantic) take on this, but her attempts of "seduction" (almost always involving hugging or bringing food) always fail with her intended target, and she is quite the traditionalist anyway.
94	* {{Invoked\|Trope}} in an episode of ''Series/ThirtyRock''. After one too many romantic failures, Liz gave up on dating and decided to start her "graceful transition into spinsterhood". This included buying a cat and naming it "Emily Dickinson" as well as joining a book club reading ''Literature/MurderOnTheOrientExpress''. Of course, she [[StatusQuoIsGod reverted to her normal self by the end of the episode]].
95	* Hilda and Zelda of ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' come off this way, despite not being as old as this trope usually implies (or at least, not ''[[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld looking]]'' as old). Zelda was briefly married back in the Middle Ages, while Hilda [[PutOnABus leaves the show]] after getting hitched in the later seasons.
96	* On ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', Lady Edith thinks this will be her fate after getting jilted at the altar by much older Sir Anthony, but she's very unsatisfied with this prospect. She's considered the PlainJane of the family, while her two sisters are great beauties, popular with gentlemen and people in general and constantly praised by their parents, while Edith is pitied even by the servants at the Abbey. She eventually finds purpose in life (journalism and women's suffrage) and she has other suitors and finds love.
97	-->'''Edith:''' Am I to be the maiden aunt? Isn't this what they do? Arrange presents for their prettier relations?
98	* Charles Godfrey's sisters Cissy and Dolly are portrayed as this in ''Series/DadsArmy''. Although they have no nieces or nephews, they are nonetheless very nurturing, with Dolly's famous "upside-down cakes" mentioned in many episodes.
99	* PlayedForLaughs in an episode of ''Series/TheWorstWitch'' when the girls go on a camping trip. Miss Drill and the girls blend in as normal school people fine but Miss Hardbroom stands out like a sore thumb. So when they run into Canadian boyscouts, Miss Drill tells them that Miss Hardbroom is ''her'' Maiden Aunt who is with them for the good of her health.
100	* Alluded to in an episode of ''Series/FullerHouse''. Stephanie, seeing both DJ and Kimmy sporting post-kiss goofy grins while herself sorting socks, comments with this trope almost verbatim. Although she being 35 is in no way or shape being old, and [[ReallyGetsAround she is definitely not a maiden]], just haven't been married yet. She doesn't have children but turns out to mostly be because she can't.
101	--> '''Stephanie Tanner:''' Oh no, I am becoming the spinster aunt.
102	* In the ''Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman'' episode that featured an appearance by Walt Whitman, Grace is the only character who isn't bothered by his rumored homosexuality, stating that she grew up in New Orleans, where, "there were all kinds of folks. Plenty of families had their bachelor uncles and maiden aunties", implying that the term may have also been a euphemism for a lesbian.
103	* In ''{{Series/Poldark}}'', Agatha Poldark has been the family's Maiden Aunt for all her ninety-plus years of life. Her niece Verity appears destined for a similar fate at first, mostly because the other family members depend on her people-pleasing nature and don't wish for her to leave the family home. [[spoiler:She finally breaks free by marrying Captain Andrew Blamey despite her family's strong and vocal objections to his checkered past.]]
104	* ''Series/TheUpshaws'' has an updated version of the trope in Lucretia. When her little sister Regina got pregnant in high school, Lucretia dropped out of college and broke up with her world-traveling boyfriend to take care of her sister and new baby nephew. Lucretia has dated since then, but never seriously. She never married or had children of her own, and instead devoted herself to being the backstop keeping Regina's family safe. The resulting family dynamics can be messy. In a practical sense, this ''is'' Lucretia's family -- this is the family she's spent decades taking care of; she's their financial safety net; she practically raised her nephew Bernard. But it's not officially ''her family'', and this changes how her contributions are viewed. For example: Money. If this were ''her family'', providing financially would just be providing for her family, not worth commenting on. Because it's not, providing financially is alternatingly seen as very charitable, or a controlling-the-purse-strings power move. In a fight between the sisters, this gets pulled out:
105	-->'''Lucretia:''' I know that your family couldn't function without me.\
106	'''Regina:''' Oh, is that right? You wouldn't have a life if I didn't have a family! We're your hobby.\
107	'''Lucretia:''' [...] But maybe I would have a full life if I wasn't stuck raising ''your'' children and paying ''your'' bills.
108	[[/folder]]
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110	[[folder: Music]]
111	* In "Baby, It's Cold Outside," the woman mentions that "my maiden aunt's mind is vicious" while discussing her relatives' probable reactions to her spending the night at her boyfriend's house.
112	* Folk singer Judy Small has a song called "Family Maiden Aunt" about a woman who is [[OldMaid nearly 30 and still unmarried]]. It describes how her family fears she is in danger of becoming this, and how much she is looking forward to it; discussing the advantages of her childless, partnerless life.
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114	[[/folder]]
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116	[[folder: Theatre ]]
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118	* Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha Brewster in the play and movie ''Theatre/ArsenicAndOldLace''. Their special cordial is [[SympatheticMurderer extremely special]].
119	* Juliana Tesman in ''Theatre/HeddaGabler''.
120	* ''Theatre/TheNutcracker'' features two MaidenAunt characters.
121	* ''Theatre/CharleysAunt'' gets a lot of mileage from this trope. Donna Lucia (although a widow, rather than never having married) is presumed by all five of the youngsters to be one, although that's because they've never met her. (She isn't, by a long shot.) Babbs plays her as one while masquerading as her. Mr. Spettigue expected her to be one, so he never even considers that there might be an imposture going on. The real Donna Lucia takes full advantage of it.
122	* ''Theatre/AlisonsHouse'': Aunt Agatha never married and never even left home. Her sole concern is protecting the memory of her sister Alison, a CaptainErsatz of Creator/EmilyDickinson who gained posthumous fame as a poet.
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124	[[/folder]]
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126	[[folder: Video Games ]]
127	* Mrs. Crumplebottom from ''VideoGame/TheSims'', specifically as she's seen in [[VideoGame/TheSims1 the first game]], where she is the unmarried aunt of Mortimer Goth and sister to Cornelia Goth, though she is never seen interacting with her family.
128	* Sialeeds and Haswar in ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'' are this to the [[TheHero Prince]], swearing off getting married and having children to avoid the possibility of a repeat of the devastating SuccessionCrisis from just the last generation. After the events of the game, however, Haswar goes and gets married after noting that she, the prince and Lymsleia are all that remains of their family.
129	* Wendy Oldbag (or Windy Old Bag?) from the ''Phoenix Wright'' series. She's often seen hitting on Miles Edgeworth, who's probably young enough to be her son.
130	* If the PlayerCharacter is the female Human Noble, the origin portion of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' lightly alludes to this trope. The PC's mother is lamenting how difficult it is to find her a husband, implying that she worries her daughter will end up as the maiden aunt of her little nephew Oren.
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132	[[/folder]]
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134	[[folder:Western Animation]]
135	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
136	** Patty and Selma Bouvier were single at first and played aunts to the Simpson kids, though none of them were really fond of them. Selma ultimately had multiple marriages, none of which lasted very long. Patty apparently lived a life of self-imposed celibacy (despite dating Skinner for a while), but in a later episode came out of the closet as a lesbian and nearly married before finding out [[spoiler:her would-be bride was a man in drag]].
137	** Great Aunt Gladys, Marge's aunt, seems to fill this trope. In her video will, she warns Patty and Selma about "not DyingAlone," and gives them [[StealthPun her old]] [[MyBiologicalClockIsTicking grandfather clock]].
138	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' has two examples.
139	** Kya, Tenzin's older sister, who never married and seemingly never wanted to, and is much beloved by her brother's children; unlike most examples, she's a CoolOldLady, described by WordOfGod as "kind of a hippie" and can [[NeverMessWithGranny kick butt]] if necessary. Given both [[WordOfGay certain other revelations the creators made about her]] and her CommitmentIssues, there's a pretty good reason she never married and never wanted to.
140	** Also on the butt-kicking end of the spectrum is Lin Beifong, whose younger sister has five children while she has none. A badass police chief, she has seemingly not had a serious relationship since she broke up with Tenzin. She's not the most thrilled with children, though she grows closer to her niece and nephews over time.
141	* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'', Wisteria is this to Jenny, while Nora is this to Glenn.
142	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'': Slappy Squirrel is Skippy's aunt, and she doesn't have a spouse or a child.
143	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / MaidenAunt