It's interesting that these two sibilings were raised by the same caring parents but turned out so different. James is the oldest yet Catherine seems to know better. James comes across as very weak (what he finds appealing about John Thorpe I'll never understand) and also very immature. He's making mistakes that are quite common for young people to make, like trusting the wrong crowd and treating his family poorly because of it. I hate the way he treats Catherine when she declines their offer for an outing. It's the first time we see just how much he's been sucked in by these people. And that's how I see it. He started out as an okay guy but was persuaded and influenced by this very outgoing crowd.

I don't think I can completely fault him for not telling Catherine his real reasons for being there. While I don't appreciate the two of them lying to each other I think they do have the other's best interests at heart. Catherine doesn't want to hurt her brother's feelings by telling him his friend is a twit. James doesn't want to hurt his sister's feelings by telling her he didn't come to Bath to see her. She’d be crushed. Were they a little more mature and more trusting of their instincts, then they might have said what was on their mind. Plus, James is probably thinking his feelings for Isabella are genuine and wants for Catherine to like her. Although, I hate when he tells her Isabella would be a good role model for her. That again just tells me he's too ignorant to realize what kind of people he's surrounded himself with.