Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Worst Father

Sir Walter Elliot trounced Sir Thomas Bertram and humiliated him in the bad daddy polls last week, which I must admit surprised me. I thought the vote would be closer. We have now entered the final round in the Worst Father category. For your voting pleasure, we present the two worst Jane Austen fathers. Who do you think is the baddest of them all? You may vote daily if you wish.

Worst Father - Finals

Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall

Vanity, thy name is Sir Walter. Puffed up with self-importance, this man can hardly see his children beyond his nose, much less love them as they deserve. The daughter who most favors him in image and temperament - Elizabeth - is as insufferable as her father. Both barely tolerate Anne, the true jewel in the Elliot household. Sir Walter measures the worth of a man and woman by their outer symmetrical perfection, for to his myopic mind their inner beauty counts not at all. Worse, in my estimation, Sir Walter constricts his understanding of the world by never taking up any book but the Baronetage. Unable to expand his horizons, he is doomed to repeat his mistakes,

General Tilney of Northanger Abbey:

Did General Tilney possess any soft emotions towards anyone? Sadly, we think not. He is a petty, boastful, manipulative tyrant who will tolerate no opposition in his home and who takes no quarters when he is displeased. Gruff, overbearing, and imperious, he allows his greed to overtake sound parental judgment. All General Tilney cares about are his coffers, and if he must sacrifice his childrens' happiness in quest of material riches, then so be it.

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Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Worst Father Final

Sir Walter Elliot General Tilney