Character Analysis
Mr. Allen clearly has a monopoly on all the common sense in his marriage to Mrs. Allen. He actually does a much better job of chaperoning Catherine and sheltering her from potential social improprieties, like those unsupervised carriage rides, than his wife. Mr. Allen is a steady voice of reason and an occasional provider of exposition, like when he gives Catherine the low-down on the Tilneys. Beyond that, the man is something of an enigma.