Margaret Kittredge

Margaret Kittredge
Basic Information
Full Name	Margaret Rose Kittredge
Series Data
First Appearance	Meet Kit
Family Relationships
Uncle(s)	Hendrick Frosbythe
Husband	Jack Kittredge
Son(s)	Charles Kittredge
Daughter(s)	Kit Kittredge

Margaret Kittredge is the mother of Kit Kittredge. Kit refers to her as "Mother".

Personality and Facts

Margaret Kittredge--Kit's mother--comes from a well-established and wealthy Cincinnati family. At the start of the series, she doesn't have any living parents; it is expressly stated by Uncle Hendrick that her mother has passed on, and there is no mention of her father, with her uncle Hendrick as her only surviving relative. Hendrick frequently says that if Margaret's mother could see her now, it would break her heart; he also disparages Jack's background and upbringing and their low--though relatively middle class--standard of living. It is likely that Margaret married below her perceived class. Jack and her owe twenty dollars a month on the mortgage.

Margaret still maintains high standards and can sometimes find many things low-class or improper and worries about her perceived status. For example she finds it countrified to call Aunt Millie as such--as she is not a biological aunt to Jack--and prefers to call her "Miss Mildred". She also was upset when Aunt Millie did what she felt were "country things" such as use part of the garden space for growing food and raising chickens in the backyard. Kit is Margaret's only daughter and she initially ignores her wishes and desires; for example, she redecorated her room in pink and with flounces and ruffles as she perceived it to be a young girl's dream room. She often expects Kit to be more ladylike than she is.

Margaret likes everything to be "just so", especially when she was the host of her then-active garden club at her home, and has personal pride in the appearance of her home and family. This becomes a challenge as they need to take in boarders, and she and Aunt Millie sometimes have conflict because of Millie's direct and more practical applications of things such raising chickens and growing vegetables. (She does not, for example, care for the ragman stopping by.) She later complains that her house hasn't been her own since Millie arrived, but soon realizes how they can't truly get along without her help.

Kit thinks everything Mother does is lovely and thought out. As the Depression takes hold she must give up much of her fine living, but still tries to keep things very prim, proper, and fine looking. She almost never scolded Kit before the Depression affected their life or lectured her about daily chores like dusting properly. She wants the boarders to feel that they are living in a fine household, and even as she has to stretch meals to cover everyone she tries to present things nicely. She initially refuses to let Louise Howard help with housework, but later agrees to let Louise exchange her services for her and Stirling's room and board. She is also considerate of others; rather than say that the Howards can stay because they don't have a place to go, she smooths it over by saying they can stay as guests until Louise's husband sends for them.

Margaret is as clever as Kit; it was her idea to take in borders to the home to help the family stay in their house, and despite her elegance she is not too proud to do what's needed to ensure her family is supported. She easily offers hospitality to those in need, such as inviting the Howards to live with the family casually rather than allow them the shame of leaving town as they don't have a place to stay or confront them about a lack of money to pay rent like other boarders. Once her mind is made up, she is determined to follow through.

In The Books

Meet Kit: An American Girl

Margaret, hosting the garden club, hears that Louise Howard and her son will be leaving town.

Margaret is first mentioned when Kit is in her newly-redecorated bedroom. She redecorated the bedroom earlier in summer as a surprise for Kit and is pleased with the room, sure the room is a girl's dream room. She has also asked Kit to keep her typewriter in her closet when she isn't using it. Kit hasn't told her the truth about how she feels out of place in her new room.

She is first seen hosting the garden club; Kit wants to hug her, but restrains herself. She is as cool and slender as a mint leaf in a pale green dress and smiles when she sees the girls, introducing Ruth and Kit to the club ladies before saying they can help themselves to refreshments. When she hears that Louise Howard won't be part of the garden club she says that's too bad. After realizing that Louise is leaving as they can't afford their home, Margaret speaks up and says she has a marvelous idea--Louise and her son can come stay with the Kittridges in their guest room until Mr. Howard sends for them, and then says it's settled when Louise accepts.

In Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

Margaret is portrayed differently in her film depiction, in that she is not as prim and proper as in the books. Since Aunt Millie is not cast, ideas such as raising chickens and growing food become hers, and she is not hesitant to take on odd jobs or take in boarders.

She is portrayed by Julia Ormond.