Elinor Dashwood

Name: Elinor Dashwood

Nicknames/Aliases: Miss Dashwood, Ellie (2008 Miniseries)

Novel: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Role: Heroine

Age: 19, 27 in 1995 Movie
Appearance: "Young, pretty, and unaffected", Good figure, Average height

Occupation: Gentleman's Daughter
Talents/Hobbies: Managing Finances, Comforting Her Family, Drawing, Caring for Her Sisters

Place of Residence: Norland in Sussex, Barton Cottage in Devonshire
Virtues: Sensible, Controls Emotions, Caring Sister
Vices: Holds emotions in, Appears Stoic

Family:
Henry Dashwood - Elinor's father. He wished that Norland Park would go to his second wife and daughters, but the will said that Norland Park would go to his son from his first marriage, John Dashwood.

Mrs. Dashwood - Elinor's mother and Henry Dashwood's second wife, Mrs. Dashwood is emotional, so Elinor has to manage the family affairs.

John Dashwood - Elinor's half brother and Henry Dashwood's son, John Dashwood is married to Fanny Dashwood (nee Ferrars). He made a promise to his father that he would take care of his half sisters and step-mother, but he was persuaded by Fanny not to help them. He is "rather cold hearted and rather selfish"

Marianne Dashwood - Elinor's younger sister, aged 16 at the beginning of the book (17 at the end), Marianne is very emotional and romantic, but not prudent. She excels at playing the piano.

Margaret Dashwood - Elinor's youngest sister, aged 13, Margaret isn't quite as romantic as Marianne.

Sir John Middleton - Mrs. Dashwood's distant cousin, Sir John Middleton owns Barton Park and lets Barton Cottage to the Dashwood women.

Spouse:

Edward Ferrars (Future) - Edward is the brother of Elinor's sister-in-law, Fanny. Edward is a quiet man of twenty-three who would like to become a clergyman, though it does not agree with his family.

Friends:

Mrs. Jennings - Mrs. Jennings is the mother-in-law of Sir John Middleton, Mrs. Dashwood's distant cousin. Mrs. Jennings is a silly character and takes delight in match-making. She tries to discover who Elinor's "beau" is.

Colonel Brandon - Age 35. A friend of Sir John Middleton, Colonel Brandon falls in love with Marianne Dashwood, Elinor's sister, who reminds him of a girl that he was once in love with named Eliza Williams. He has a young ward also named Eliza Williams, who was the daughter of the first Eliza Williams.

Enemies:

Lucy Steele - A distant cousin of Mrs. Jennings, Lucy and her sister Anne stay with the Middletons about half way through Sense and Sensibility. Lucy reveals to Elinor that she is engaged to Edward Ferrars. She knows that Edward loves Elinor and is using her engagement to him to make Elinor feel bad.

Mrs. Ferrars - Edward's and Fanny Dashwood's mother, Mrs. Ferrars wants Edward to marry the rich Miss Morton with 50,000 pounds.

Lady Middleton - The wife of Sir John Middleton. Lady Middleton does not like the Dashwoods since they do not compliment her children and read too much.

Portrayed By: Joanna David (1971), Irene Richards (1981), Emma Thompson (1995), Hattie Morahan (2008)

Quotes:

"I do not attempt to deny... that I think very highly of him—that I greatly esteem, that I like him." (Chapter 4)

"I confess...that while I am at Barton Park, I never think of tame and quiet children with any abhorrence." (Chapter 21)

"You do not suppose that I have ever felt much.—For four months, Marianne, I have had all this hanging on my mind, without being at liberty to speak of it to a single creature; knowing that it would make you and my mother most unhappy whenever it were explained to you, yet unable to prepare you for it in the least.— It was told me,—it was in a manner forced on me by the very person herself, whose prior engagement ruined all my prospects; and told me, as I thought, with triumph.— This person's suspicions, therefore, I have had to oppose, by endeavouring to appear indifferent where I have been most deeply interested;—and it has not been only once;—I have had her hopes and exultation to listen to again and again.— I have known myself to be divided from Edward for ever, without hearing one circumstance that could make me less desire the connection.—Nothing has proved him unworthy; nor has anything declared him indifferent to me.— I have had to contend against the unkindness of his sister, and the insolence of his mother; and have suffered the punishment of an attachment, without enjoying its advantages.— And all this has been going on at a time, when, as you know too well, it has not been my only unhappiness.— If you can think me capable of ever feeling—surely you may suppose that I have suffered NOW. The composure of mind with which I have brought myself at present to consider the matter, the consolation that I have been willing to admit, have been the effect of constant and painful exertion;—they did not spring up of themselves;—they did not occur to relieve my spirits at first.— No, Marianne.—THEN, if I had not been bound to silence, perhaps nothing could have kept me entirely—not even what I owed to my dearest friends—from openly shewing that I was VERY unhappy." (Chapter 37)

"I am by no means assured of his regard and even were he to feel such a preference I think we should both be very foolish to assume that there would not be many obstacles to his marrying a woman of no rank who cannot afford to buy sugar."(1995 movie)

Elinor Dashwood: Marianne, you must change or you will catch a cold.
Marianne Dashwood: What care I for colds when there is such a man.
Elinor Dashwood: You will care very much when your nose swells up. (1995 movie)

Biography:

  Elinor Dashwood is the oldest daughter of Henry Dashwood and his second wife, the current Mrs. Dashwood. Elinor has two sisters, Marianne and Margaret, and one brother, John, who is married to Fanny Dashwood (nee Ferrars). Out of her sisters, Elinor is sensible and has to make decisions for her mother at times. Because she hides her emotions, she is occasionally accused of being unemotional.
  When Henry Dashwood dies, his home of Norland (located in Sussex) goes to John and Fanny Dashwood. The Dashwood women have to leave Norland for a place that is smaller and more affordable. Mrs. Dashwood wanted to be out of Norland before John and Fanny arrive, but Elinor reminds her that it is just not possible. When John and Fanny arrive, Fanny becomes mistress of Norland and starts to make the Dashwood women feel unwelcome.
  Fanny's brother, Edward Ferrars, visits them at Norland while the Dashwood women are still there. Elinor and Edward begin to spend a lot of time together and Mrs. Dashwood and Marianne speculate that they will marry. Elinor, however, says that they are not engaged and keeps her emotions inside. Fanny, who also suspects an attachment between Elinor and Edward, tells Mrs. Dashwood that Edward is to marry someone of wealth. After hearing this, Mrs. Dashwood decides to answer a letter from her distant cousin who has offered her and her daughters a cottage at his estate, Barton Park, in Devonshire. The Dashwood women leave Norland and Edward says that he will come visit them when they are settled.
  The Dashwoods arrive at Barton Park and settle into Barton Cottage. Sir John Middleton invites them to dine with them at their home, where the Dashwood women meet Lady Middleton (Sir John's wife), the Middletons' four children, Mrs. Jennings (Lady Middleton's mother), and Colonel Brandon (Sir John's friend from the army).Elinor forms a friendship with Colonel Brandon, who has fallen in love with Elinor's sister Marianne, who reminds him of a girl that he once knew.
  Elinor meets a man named John Willoughby, who carried Marianne home when she sprained her ankle, and notices Willoughby and Marianne becoming close. Her family and friends soon assume that Marianne and Willoughby are engaged, though none of them has said anything. When Willoughby tries to give Marianne a horse (which would be a sign of an engagement), Elinor tells Marianne that she must refuse the gift.
  When Willoughby departs suddenly for London, Marianne becomes despondent. Not long afterwards do the Dashwoods receive Edward at Barton Cottage, though in lower spirits. Marianne notices that Edward has a ring made out of hair on and asks if it is Fanny's hair, to which Edward hesitantly replies that it is. Elinor, looking at the ring, believes that it is her hair and wonders where he could have gotten a lock of her hair from. Soon afterwards, he leaves.
 Soon after Edward's departure , Mrs. Jennings welcomes her distant cousins, the Miss Steeles (Anne and Lucy) to Barton Park, who both fawn over Lady Middleton's obnoxious children. One day on a walk, Lucy informs Elinor that she has been engaged for four years to Edward and that he has a lock of her hair that he has in the form of a ring. Lucy swears the shocked Elinor to secrecy about the engagement.
  Mrs. Jennings invites Elinor and Marianne on a trip to London and both go, Marianne hoping to meet Willoughby. While in London, they are later joined by the Miss Steeles. When the Dashwoods go to a ball in London with Mrs. Jennings, both Elinor and Marianne spot Willoughby with another woman, who turns out to be Miss Sophia Grey, his fiancee. The Dashwoods leave early due to Marianne's not feeling well. The next day, when Marianne receives a letter from Willoughby breaking away from Marianne, Elinor comforts her and finds out that Willoughby and Marianne were never engaged. Colonel Brandon arrives the next day and informs Elinor of Willoughby's past and that he was cut off from his inheritance and is marrying Miss Grey for her money.
  Edward arrives in London and visits Elinor while Lucy is also visiting her. Soon after, Elinor hears from Mrs. Jennings about Edward's engagement to Lucy and that Lucy and Anne have been kicked out of Mrs. Ferrars (Edward's mother)'s house. Edward is cut off without a penny, but he refuses to break his promise to Lucy. Colonel Brandon, hearing about what has happened, asks Elinor to tell Edward that he is willing to give him and Lucy a living when they get married and he becomes a clergyman. Elinor is reluctant to personally tell Edward about this, thinking it would be better if Colonel Brandon told him, but Colonel Brandon believed it would be better coming from a friend; she tells Edward, who is very grateful. Meanwhile, Elinor's peers believe that her and Colonel Brandon are in love, though Elinor constantly tells them that they are not.
  Elinor and Marianne leave London with Mrs. Jennings other daughter, Charlotte, and her husband, Thomas Palmer who are taking them back to Barton Cottage. They stop at Cleveland, the Palmer's home: it is there that Marianne gets very sick due to her declining health after Willoughby's letter and the fact that she went walking in wet grass and didn't change her stockings. Fearing that the Palmer's new baby will catch Marianne's illness, the Palmers leave Cleveland, leaving Colonel Brandon, the doctor, and Elinor to take care of Marianne. Colonel Brandon offers to fetch Mrs. Dashwood, to which Elinor agrees. Elinor cares for her sister, who eventually gets better. Thinking Colonel Brandon has arrived, Elinor rushes downstairs only to find that Willoughby has come to ask about Marianne's health and to explain his actions. Elinor, though unwilling to hear him, listens to what he has to say. Willoughby says that he didn't originally intend to love Marianne, but found himself in love with her, but since he was disinherited due to a misdeed, he had to marry Miss Grey, who he does not love.
  Once Marianne was well enough, Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, and Marianne return to Barton, Marianne getting stronger and strong. The Dashwoods receive news soon after they arrive at Barton that Mr. Ferrars and Lucy Steele have gotten married, distressing Elinor. Edward soon visits them at Barton. Elinor inquires Mrs. Ferrars, to which Edward responds thinking that she was referring to his mother. When Elinor clarifies that she was referring to Mrs. Edward Ferrars, Edward informs them all that they must mean his brother, Robert. It turns out that after Edward was disinherited, Lucy engaged herself to Robert and has married him. Overjoyed, Elinor leaves the room and bursts into tears of joy. Edward, not knowing what to do, walks towards the village and then comes back and proposes to Elinor.
  Elinor and Edward are married and have a living on Colonel Brandon's estate of Delaford. Edward became a clergyman, and when Marianne and Colonel Brandon marry, the two sisters visited each other often.

Other Pictures (Click thumbnails for bigger picture. Click the headings for more pictures.)

1971 Miniseries


1981 Miniseries


1995 Movie


2008 Miniseries