Characters


 * Anne Elliot**: Anne is the protagonist, one of Sir Walter Elliot’s three daughters. She is very soft-spoken and her opinion is often neglected and disregarded by her father. Conscientious of her obligations to her own family, Anne gave up her true love when she was 19, knowing she must hold to her family and find a more ‘suitable’ match. Anne sacrifices a great deal for the betterment of her family, but in the end she successfully harmonizes her love for Frederick Wentworth with the obligations she feels she has towards her family.

**Captain Frederick Wentworth**: Frederick Wentworth, a captain of the Navy, is Anne’s lover. When Frederick first met Anne, he had no prior fortunes, although he had a feeling that he would be rich soon. Described as ‘brilliant,’ Frederick had an air of confidence around him and tremendous wit. Despite being very gentlemanly, Frederick is disapproved of during his initial engagement to Anne by her father and her family because of his lower class. However, when Frederick returns 8 years later with a high stature, his image in the Elliot’s eyes improves and wins their approval, along with confirming that Anne still loves him.
 * Sir Walter Elliot:** Father of Elizabeth, Anne and Mary, Sir Walter was a widower. He has a steadfast concern with wealth and stature in society. However, his obsessions with wealth and his vanity causes him to place the family in tremendous debt, and he initially refuses to move out of his lavish home. He is persuaded to move into another home in Bath, while the house is being rented by Admiral Croft and his wife. Sir Walter has a fondness for Elizabeth, his older daughter, and shows disregard of sorts towards Anne and her opinions.

**Mr. Elliot**: He is Anne’s cousin and is also the sole heir to Sir Walter Elliot’s possessions. Mr. Elliot’s true nature is exposed and the reader finds that Mr. Elliot intends on marrying Anne so he can ensure his title to the inheritance, and will stop at nothing to make sure he gets the inheritance. Mr. Elliot’s plan is ruined, however, when Captain Wentworth and Anne become engaged.

**Lady Russell:** She is a friend of Sir Walter Elliot’s deceased wife. She finds a particular liking in Anne and makes a lot of her judgments with Anne in mind. She is considerably logical compared to most of the other characters and has a better understanding of wealth and social status.
 * Admiral and Mrs. Croft**: They are the couple who come to live in Sir Walter Elliot’s house after he moves to Bath. Sir Walter Elliot finds Admiral Croft considerably good-looking, considering his normal perception of people in the Navy. Mrs. Croft is the sister of Captain Frederick Wentworth.
 * Elizabeth Elliot:** Elizabeth is Anne’s sister and Sir Walter’s favorite daughter. Elizabeth holds a lot of similar beliefs with her father, and is also very vain towards the ‘lower class’ and in return very particular about their social image. Elizabeth remains single even to the end of the novel because she can find no one of high enough social status.
 * Mary Musgrove (Elliot):** As Anne’s younger sister, Mary is the first of Sir Walter’s three daughters to get married. Sir Walter shows no particular favor or distaste of Mary. Mary is very superficial, like her sister and father, and also strives to achieve a higher social status.
 * Charles Musgrove**: Although Charles is Mary’s husband, he originally intended to marry Anne, who declined his offer. He is described to be of ‘an old country family of respectability and large fortune’ (p.5).
 * Louisa Musgrove**: She is the cousin of Charles Musgrove. Anne is worried that Captain Wentworth will propose to Louisa and her love will be lost forever. However, Louisa ends up marrying a Captain Benwick, a man she met in Lyme.
 * Henrietta Musgrove:** She is another cousin of Charles Musgrove. She marries Charles Hayter, who is her cousin.
 * Charles Hayter**: He is the cousin of Henrietta, Louisa and Charles. He is the man who marries Henrietta.
 * Mrs. Clay**: She is the daughter of Mr. Shepard and is of a lower class then the Elliots. She becomes particularly good friends with Elizabeth, but Anne is wary of her because she has an inkling that Mrs. Clay wishes to marry Sir Walter Elliot to raise her social status.
 * Mrs. Smith:** Mrs. Smith is the old friend who tells Anne of Mr. Elliot’s past and his plans to deceive the Elliot family.