Mrs. Dashwood:
"In her mind there was a sense of honor so keen, a generosity so romantic.....and her own tender love for all her three
children"
Elinor Dashwood:
"Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so effectual.
possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which
qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her
mother"
"She had an excellent heart;- her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she
knew how to govern them"
"Miss Dashwood had a delicate complexion, regular features, and a
remarkably pretty figure."
Marianne Dashwood:
"She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything: her
sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous,
amiable, interesting: she was everything but prudent. The
resemblance between her and her mother was strikingly great."
"Her form, though not so correct as her sister's, in having the advantage of
height, was more striking; and her face was so lovely, that when, in
the common cant of praise, she was called a beautiful girl, truth
was less violently outraged than usually happens. Her skin was very
brown, but, from its transparency, her complexion was uncommonly
brilliant; her features were all good; her smile was sweet and
attractive; and in her eyes, which were very dark, there was a life, a
spirit, an eagerness, which could hardily be seen without delight."
"Marianne, with excellent
abilities and an excellent disposition, was neither reasonable nor
candid. She expected from other people the same opinions and
feelings as her own, and she judged of their motives by the
immediate effect of their actions on herself."
Margaret Daswood:
" the other sister, was a good-humored, well-disposed
girl; but as she had already imbibed a good deal of Marianne's
romance, without having much of her sense, she did not, at thirteen,
bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life."
Mr. John Dashwood:
"had not the strong feelings of the rest of the family."
"He was not an ill-disposed young man, unless to be rather
cold-hearted and rather selfish is to be ill-disposed: but he was,
in general, well respected; for he conducted himself with propriety in
the discharge of his ordinary duties"
Mrs. John Dashwood:
"was a strong caricature of himself(Mr. Dashwood); more narrow-minded and selfish."
Edward Ferrars:
"a gentlemanlike and pleasing young man"
"He was not handsome, and his
manners required intimacy to make them pleasing. He was too
diffident to do justice to himself; but when his natural shyness was
overcome, his behaviour gave every indication of an open, affectionate
heart. His understanding was good, and his education had given it
solid improvement. But he was neither fitted by abilities nor
disposition to answer the wishes of his mother and sister, who longed
to see him distinguished- as- they hardly knew what."
"But Edward had no turn for great men or barouches. All his wishes centered in
domestic comfort and the quiet of private life."
Robert Ferrars:
"But Edward had no turn for great men or barouches. All his wishes centered in
domestic comfort and the quiet of private life. Fortunately he had a younger brother (Robert) who was more promising."
- "Do you know Mr. Robert Ferrars?" asked Elinor.
- "Not at all- I never saw him; but I fancy he is very unlike his brother- silly, and a great coxcomb."
Mrs. Ferrars
"Mrs. Ferrars's resolution that both her sons should marry well"
"Mrs. Ferrars is a very headstrong, proud woman."
Sir John Middleton:
"was a good looking man about forty."
"His countenance was thoroughly good-humoured; and his manners were as friendly as the style of his letter. Their
arrival seemed to afford him real satisfaction, and their comfort to
be an object of real solicitude to him."
"Sir John was very chatty."
Lady Middleton:
"was not more
than six or seven and twenty; her face was handsome, her figure tall
and striking, and her address graceful. Her manners had all the
elegance which her husband's wanted. But they would have been improved
by some share of his frankness and warmth; and her visit was long
enough to detract something from their first admiration, by showing
that, though perfectly well-bred, she was reserved, cold, and had
nothing to say for herself beyond the most common-place inquiry or
remark."
"Lady Middleton piqued herself upon the elegance of her table,
and of all her domestic arrangements; and from this kind of vanity was
her greatest enjoyment in any of their parties."
Mrs. Jennings:
"Mrs. Jennings, Lady Middleton's mother, was a good-humoured,
merry, fat, elderly woman, who talked a great deal, seemed very happy,
and rather vulgar. She was full of jokes and laughter."
"MRS. Jennings was a widow with an ample jointure.She had only two
daughters, both of whom she had lived to see respectably married,
and she had now, therefore, nothing to do but to marry all the rest of
the world. In the promotion of this object she was zealously active,
as far as her ability reached."
Colonel Brandon:
"He was silent and grave. His appearance, however, was not unpleasing, in
spite of his being, in the opinion of Marianne and Margaret, an
absolute old bachelor, for he was on the wrong side of five-and-thirty; but though his face was not handsome, his countenance
was sensible, and his address was particularly gentlemanlike."
"His manners, though serious, were mild; and his reserve appeared rather the result of some oppression of
spirits than of any natural gloominess of temper."
Mr. Willoughby (25):
"a manner so frank and so graceful that his person, which was uncommonly
handsome, received additional charms from his voice and expression."
"when she saw that to the perfect good breeding of the gentleman, he united
frankness and vivacity, and above all, when she heard him declare,
that of music and dancing he was passionately fond."
"Willoughby was a young man of good abilities, quick
imagination, lively spirits, and open, affectionate manners."
Mrs. Palmer:
"Mrs. Palmer was several years younger than Lady Middleton, and
totally unlike her in every respect. She was short and plump, had a
very pretty face, and the finest expression of good humour in it
that could possibly be. Her manners were by no means so elegant as her
sister's, but they were much more prepossessing. She came in with a
smile, smiled all the time of her visit, except when she laughed,
and smiled when she went away."
Mr. Palmer:
"was a grave looking young man of five or six and twenty, with an air of more fashion and sense
than his wife, but of less willingness to please or be pleased."
Miss Lucy Steele:
"Lucy is monstrous pretty, and so good humoured and agreeable!"
"who was not more than two
or three and twenty, they acknowledged considerable beauty: her
features were pretty, and she had a sharp quick eye, and a smartness
of air, which, though it did not give actual elegance or grace, gave
distinction to her person. Their manners were particularly civil."
"and as Elinor was not blinded by the beauty, or the shrewd look of the
youngest, to her want of real elegance and artlessness, she left the
house without any wish of knowing them better."
"Lucy was naturally clever; her remarks were often just and
amusing"
Miss Steele:
" the eldest, who was nearly thirty, with a very plain and not a sensible
face, nothing to admire."
"The vulgar
freedom and folly of the eldest left her no recommendation."
Description of charcters from Pride & Prejudice
Description of charcters from Emma
Description of characters from Persuasion