Jane Austen Character Throwdown

Our closest Jane Austen Throwdown Match EVER was between Mr. Collins and Mr. Elton last week, but in the end there was no contest. Consistently over the week Mr. Collins won the dubious distinction of driving 57% of his congregation from his parish. Ouch!

Let us leave these clueless men of God, and consider more mundane, but ever more fascinating matters - fashion. Who is the best dressed woman in your eyes?

Most Fashionable Woman

Miss Eleanor Tilney, Northanger Abbey

In days of yore a lady of fashion needed laundresses and maids to take on the hard chore of keeping one's white dresses in immaculate condition. Water was laboriously hauled from a well or nearby stream then boiled so that clothes could be properly cleaned. Miss Tilney always dressed in white or or a light color, thus her attire denoted not only purity but wealth. Aside from being a nice lady, Ms. Tilney oozed social cache and was quite the catch, though we suspect her modesty was the key to her goodness.






Miss Mary Crawford, Mansfield Park

The always exciting and interesting Mary Crawford was a a woman of wealth and privilege; she also, possessed a refined sense of fashion. Lively and sophisticated, Mary attracted Edmund Bertram, a genuinely religious, caring and wholesome man. Miss Crawford was the epitome of a woman of her times - she could walk, ride, dance, and play games. Let us say Mary looked good even though she had a hard time charming Fanny Price with her wit and taste.

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Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Most Fashionable Lady

Miss Eleanor Tilney Miss Mary Crawford

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Sweetest Lady

Our readers voted and the verdict is in: General Tilney is the Worst Father, beating Sir Walter Elliot by a 6:4 margin. Our next throwdown takes us in the opposite direction - to sweetest lady. We will visit two secondary characters for the first vote in this category, and then will move up to the main characters in later contests. For your consideration, please vote for the character who best fits this category:

Sweetest Lady

Miss Bates, Emma:
Yes Miss Bates' runaway mouth can be infuriatingly irritating, but this endearing spinster has not a mean bone in her body. Sweet without fault, she finds the good in people and enjoys their companionship. She is grateful for the slightest bit of attention, and though she is materially poor, she feels blessed and contented. When Emma petulantly makes fun of her at Box Hill, Miss Bates' reaction is one of hurt, not blame: - "but, when it burst on her, it could not anger, though a slight blush shewed that it could pain her. 'Ah!—well—to be sure. Yes, I see what she means, (turning to Mr. Knightley,) and I will try to hold my tongue. I must make myself very disagreeable, or she would not have said such a thing to an old friend.' "



Miss Eleanor Tilney, Northanger Abbey:
A true lady, gentle and sweet, she is a loving sister, obedient daughter, and devoted friend. Eleanor exudes an older sister's influence over Catherine Morland, genuinely liking the naive and inexperienced girl, and taking her under her wing. When General Tilney banishes Catherine from Northanger Abbey, Eleanor gives her money to get home. Jane Austen's description of Eleanor is telling: Miss Tilney had a good figure, a pretty face, and a very agreeable countenance; and her air, though it had not all the decided pretension, the resolute stylishness of Miss Thorpe's, had more real elegance. Her manners showed good sense and good breeding; they were neither shy nor affectedly open..."

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Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Sweetest Lady
Miss Bates Miss Eleanor Tilney

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World