Ranking Jane Austen’s Heroines
Greetings, everyone. Jack Caldwell here.
As you know, I’m a writer. By definition, that makes me insane. Don’t believe me? Ask any writer if they’re sane. If they say they are, they’re lying.
Anywho, as I am insane, I occasionally give in to my innate absurdity by engaging in flights of fantasy that may could prove harmful to my chosen profession. In other words, writing stuff my readers may not like. I have chosen JAFF as my playground, and the readers of JAFF have certain expectations. Number one expectation, above all else, is a Happy Ever After for Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.
I meet this expectation in my work. I’m insane, not stupid.
In other ways, I do push the envelope. I place hard history in all my novels. I am well known for killing off beloved characters. I have the audacity to understand, defend, and sometimes reform Caroline Bingley. I hint that the irresponsible Mr. Bennet is, at times, a misanthropic jerk. I insist that Mr. Collins is tall and Colonel Fitzwilliam is not handsome. And I have my own peculiar sense of humor. I made Mr. Darcy a cowboy in one book, for crying out loud. That’s the way I roll.
Given all the above, I try not to intentionally upset my reading public. They are the kind folks who support my insanity. But sometimes, the urge to write something outrageous is too strong to suppress. My muse is a harsh mistress.
You can blame all the foregoing blather on my fellow Austen Variations author Shannon Winslow. She recently posted a piece about ranking the Austen Heroes by their expressed gentleman-like behavior. Of course, Mr. Darcy was not at the top; he was fourth. She asked the readers to respond, and most agreed with her. I made some throwaway comment that my rankings of the Austen Heroines would cause more controversy. She challenged me to post it.
Challenge accepted. Blame her.
The seven Austen Heroines are: Anne Elliot (Persuasion), Catherine Morland (Northanger Abbey), Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility), Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), Emma Woodhouse (Emma), Fanny Price (Mansfield Park), and Marianne Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility). There really is no true heroine in Lady Susan.
The five criteria I have chosen to rank them are: Beauty, Kindness, Intelligence & Perceptiveness, Wit & Outgoing Personality, and Emotional Stability & Maturity. You’ll notice I’ve combined several of them. What good is Intelligence without sensitive insight, or Wit without a pleasant character? (Example: Mr. Bennet.) To my way of thinking, Maturity with Emotional Stability is good; Maturity without Emotional Stability is bad (Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Dashwood, Mr. Woodhouse, etc.).
I ranked each lady, giving the first-place lady seven points, down to the seventh lady’s one point. The categories were not weighted and no ties were allowed. I added up the points to get the final rankings, and ties were allowed. Judging criteria was based solely on my reading of Jane Austen’s novels, using her descriptions, plots, and actions.
The points awarded were subjective, but no preordained ranking was intended. Because in some cases the ladies were virtual ties, I used ordinals. The film adaptations played absolutely no role in the judging.
The results were interesting.
#7 – Catherine Morland (16 points). Miss Morland was judged #1 in Kindness and #4 in Wit & Outgoing Personality. Unfortunately, this sweet and friendly girl ranked near or at the bottom in all other measures.
#6 – Marianne Dashwood (18 points). Miss Marianne won the hard-fought Beauty crown, just edging out Miss Woodhouse. (None of Austen’s heroines were unattractive, mind you.) She also came in second in Wit & Outgoing Personality. Her last-place scores in Kindness and Emotional Stability & Maturity sealed her placement.
#5 – Emma Woodhouse (20 points). Here the voting gets real close. Miss Woodhouse’s highest score came in Beauty, and it could be argued she should have beaten Miss Marianne. She came in middle-of-the-pack in Kindness and Wit & Outgoing Personality only because of the high quality of her competitors. Miss Woodhouse was hurt by her results in Intelligence & Perceptiveness. (No surprise, eh?)
#3 (tie) – Fanny Price (21 points). The big surprise of this exercise. Miss Price did not win any of the measures, but she consistently scored well, her best in Kindness. Just like in Mansfield Park, Miss Price sneaks up on you. An outstanding young lady.
#3 (tie) – Elinor Dashwood (21 points). I am not at all surprised at this result. Miss Dashwood scored well in all measures, save Wit & Outgoing Personality, and there she was up against very strong competition. She was tops in Intelligence & Perceptiveness, and I’m not talking about book-learning. Miss Dashwood takes other people’s measure quickly and accurately (Lucy Steele, anyone?). Elizabeth Bennet could learn from her.
#1 (tie) – Elizabeth Bennet (22 points). Speaking of Miss Bennet, Jane Austen’s most popular character justly rates at the top of this list. She wins Wit & Outgoing Personality going away. However, her faults hurt her badly, or she would be unbeatable. Miss Bennet is too much her father’s daughter to score well in Kindness, and her self-acknowledged blindness over Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham hurt her in Intelligence & Perceptiveness. Knowing Greek does not mean you know people. Before the fans burn me at the stake, just know that Elizabeth Darcy would be in a class all to herself.
#1 (tie) – Anne Elliot (22 points). Again, no surprise. Austen’s most mature heroine is also her most admirable. Her outstanding results in five of these categories more than make up for her last-place finish in Beauty. And there, she is the disappointed, on-the-shelf daughter of an impoverished baronet, competing against ladies five to ten years younger. Her first-place finish in Emotional Stability & Maturity defines the powerful woman Miss Elliot was and remains. A worthy co-winner of the top prize with Miss Bennet.
As you can see, the votes for the top five candidates were very close. #1 and #5 were separated by only two points. I’m am sure you have different opinions of the rankings. Just remember, I placed no weighting on any of the categories.
My votes are below:
| BEAUTY
1. Marianne Dashwood 2. Emma Woodhouse 3. Elizabeth Bennet 4. Fanny Price 5. Elinor Dashwood 6. Catherine Morland 7. Anne Elliot |
KINDNESS
1. Catherine Morland 2. Fanny Price 3. Anne Elliot 4. Emma Woodhouse 5. Elinor Dashwood 6. Elizabeth Bennet 7. Marianne Dashwood |
| INTELLIGENCE & PERCEPTIVENESS
1. Elinor Dashwood 2. Anne Elliot 3. Fanny Price 4. Elizabeth Bennet 5. Marianne Dashwood 6. Emma Woodhouse 7. Catherine Morland |
WIT & OUTGOING PERSONALITY
1. Elizabeth Bennet 2. Marianne Dashwood 3. Emma Woodhouse 4. Catherine Morland 5. Anne Elliot 6. Elinor Dashwood 7. Fanny Price |
| EMOTIONAL STABILITY & MATURITY
1. Anne Elliot 2. Elinor Dashwood 3. Fanny Price 4. Elizabeth Bennet 5. Emma Woodhouse 6. Catherine Morland 7. Marianne Dashwood |
TOTAL:
1. Anne Elliot (tie) 22 1. Elizabeth Bennet (tie) 22 3. Elinor Dashwood (tie) 21 3. Fanny Price (tie) 21 5. Emma Woodhouse 20 6. Marianne Dashwood 18 7. Catherine Morland 16 |
So, what do you think about my rankings and results? Am I insane? Let me know!
Until next time, this has been the Cajun Cheesehead Chronicles.
It takes a real man to write historical romance, so let me tell you a story…
45 comments
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JACK! You’ve got to fix the spelling of Jane’s name!
Author
Oopps. Was thinking about a proposed visit to Texas as I was writing this. Thanks!
I agree with your ranking Anne Elliot as #1 but I think she deserves the spot on her own. My main problem with Elizabeth Bennett is her quick laughter AT everyone. Did she ever do anything nice or helpful to anyone? She always seemed more concerned with herself (and a little with Jane) and never really put herself (emotionally) at risk for anyone.
Author
Thus her second-to-last scoring in Kindness. But even the pre-Hunsford Lizzy is nicer than the b**ch Marianne Dashwood could be, until the disaster in London.
I think you did well here. Elizabeth definitely deserves to share top spot. Her main fault really was believing Wickham and in my opinion that was mainly due to Darcy’s insult at the Assembly which I must admit would be upsetting (especially with Mrs Bennet’s constant comments on Jane’s beauty and not hers)
And as you already said, you are not stupid!
Author
My only comment is that Lizzy rightly owns her faults and mistakes after Hunsford. Sure, Darcy was thoughtless at the Assembly. But Elizabeth’s continued resentment of that was a sign of her immaturity, and that’s not foot-in-mouth Darcy’s fault. She needed to grow up, and she did.
@Chris, narrow-minded comment. Characters don’t have to be perfect because precisely a well-written character is complex, has dimensions, development and makes you feel a wide range of emotions. Perfect as if they were light beings = boring and predictable. It’s funny that even in fiction you don’t stop expecting women to be 100% refined, beautiful, sympathetic, mature, understanding, compassionate, kind, loving while you don’t hold male characters to standards of perfection.
Looking for a laugh in “everything” is a flaw in Miss Bennet, with which she evolves as the plot progresses. It’s called character development.
It seems we have not read the same book because precisely her reasons for “minimizing” others are clear there, reiterated even.
Of course it is difficult and somehow unjust not to place any weighting (but every method has ist shortcomings).
My own ranking:
1. Elizabeth Bennet (Leader or Co-Leader in Intelligence/Maturity/Wit/Beauty, 4th in Kindness) 32
2. Elinor Dashwood (Co-Leader in Maturity/Kindness, 2th in Intelligence) 30
3. Anne Elliot (Co-Leader in Maturity/Kindness, 7th in Beauty) 25
4. Fanny Price (Co-Leader in Kindness, 7th in Wit) 18
5. Emma Woodhouse (2th in Wit) 17
6. Catherine Morland (tie) (7th in Intelligence) 13
Marianne Dashwood (tie) (7th in Maturity/Kindness, 2th in Beauty) 13
Possibly next week this list would show some changes, but Lizzy will always turn out first. I’m a hopeless case and therefore heartily agree with the unquestionable Happy Ever After for Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy. I don’t like Elizabeth ending up with Colonel Fitzwilliam (whom I highly esteem but he is better for Charlotte) and I don’t like Elizabeth being married before she and Darcy find together. I’m an oldfashioned romantic…
Author
Everyone’s got their preferences, which is why this is fun. The only disagreement I have is that Austen herself said that Marianne and Emma were gorgeous; hence Elizabeth’s third place showing in Beauty (Remember, I did not allow ties).
But I will say that Elizabeth Darcy is far and away the Champion!
What a hoot, Jack! Well done. My only changes would be to move Elizabeth above Marianne Dashwood in Kindness and to bump Anne Eliot up to #1 in Intelligence/Perceptiveness over Elinor Dashwood. However, this would have resulted in the same tie so it’s moot. I look forward to you bravely posting more should you be inclined.
Author
Elinor and Anne were toss-ups in Intelligence/Perceptiveness. It was six-of-one and half-dozen-of-the-other. The only knock on Anne was that she got played a little by Mrs. Smith (book, not movie).
I love this. It’s really interesting to see the heroines broken down into these categories and then given an overall score and not just judged by favoritism.
Author
I did the best I could. I’m sure everyone’s got their own opinion. Have fun!
This is really interesting and I agree with you for the most part. The part of this that is somewhat surprising to me is that I am not a fan of Miss Anne for her waffling tendencies but overall, I have to give your rankings a bravo. Side note: I really like your brand of insanity sir. You are always entertaining and your books are always great reading. Especially reformed Caroline.
Author
Pre-reformed Caroline Bingley would score poorly in this exercise, save in Beauty and Intelligence & Perceptiveness (she’s hot and sharp). My reformed Caroline Buford would come up from the bottom in all other categories, and end up middle-of-the-pack.
You’ll see more of Caroline Buford in ROSINGS PARK (once I finish the blasted thing!).
Cannot say I disagree to much with your assessment except in the kindness category. Personally I would have put Emma Woodhouse a bit further down on the list…
I have a request though, why not write a book on your Elizabeth Darcy 😉
Author
Well, Emma is mean to Jane Fairfax and Miss Bates, but she is an attentive and loving daughter, and she means well for Harriet Smith, even though she misreads many things. And she apologizes quickly when Mr. Knightley sets her straight. So I give her points for that. But I can see Elinor moving up above Emma. Lizzy and Marianne stay at the bottom, IMHO.
As for Elizabeth Darcy, she’s in ROSINGS PARK, so there you go.
Splendid! Will be looking forward to Rosings park 🙂
I think that the interpretation of Elizabeth Darcy you describe wouldn’t be a good choice for a protagonist, a heroine, but I suppose she is perfect to be a supporting character, I look forward to see her in Rosings Park (that is, I look forward to the book in every aspect!). A completely perfect heroine would be unrealistic and probably boring/irritating, like a Mary Sue. Also, a real person, however much she has matured already, will still encounter new challenges/trials and tribulations that will reveal still imperfect facets of her character and give her the opportunity to grow.
Author
Oh, don’t worry about that! Remember, I’m writing this puppy. Ain’t NOBODY perfect in my books. Bruhahaha!
Well done Jack! Overall I agree with a tweak here and there…I think personal preference for me plays a part though. Yes, how is ‘Rosings Park’ coming along?
Author
About a half-dozen more chapters and we’ll have first draft. Keep the faith!
Thank you for this list. I enjoyed reading it. I, too, would rank Ann Elliot No. 1. I want Elizabeth Bennet to be No. 1, and she might be after she grows and realizes her failings. I do not mind laughter, teasing, wit, friendliness, but I do want her to realize that her father’s sarcastic sort of humour is not a good thing and try to improve on that quality. Many of the variations do improve. Darcy sees her as kind and a worthy mistress for his estate by the time they get married, and that she is in most variations. She grows from prejudice to what I believe will be greater kindness. Ann Elliot is rally someone to like in about every way.
Author
I can’t argue that. Thanks!
I really enjoyed this list, and I agree, for the most part. I may have placed Emma below Marianne in the overall standings just because I “cain’t stan’ ‘im” (with nod to Singing in the Rain). Fanny Price is my favorite heroine with Anne Eliot close behind, so I was happy with their overall standings.
Excellent idea, Jack!! 😀
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Author
Heck, even Austen said that Emma wasn’t gonna be everyone’s cup of tea.
This is interesting. I, too, place Emma lower in Kindness (Elinor is definitely kinder). Also, some of the categories, especially the combined ones an be interpreted differently (I like Fanny Price and morally she is as stable as a rock but emotionally, I’m not so sure. She has an entirely wrong image of self-worth, she is shy to the degree of being socially crippling). Also, some of the heroines undergo significant character growth in some of the categories (e. g. Emma in kindness, Elizabeth in perceptiveness). Moreover, it’s easy to divide then as high-, middle- or low ranking in each category, but then I had difficulties as ties were not allowed. Is Fanny Price actually kinder than Anne Elliot? Is Emma the wittier/more outgoing or Marianne?
On another matter, I’m not sure witty/outgoing is objectively more valuable than quiet introversion. It is a very popular trait, to be sure, but not necessarily an universal value.
In your introduction of the topic you make a bold statement about maturity. I really don’t think you can prove Mr. Woodhouse, Mrs. Bennet or Mrs. Dashwood mature in personality – unless you mean it as an euphemism for age, which is not the issue here. I generally agree with you about maturity rankings of heroines though.
Great topic of discussion!
Author
I tried to cover Quiet Introversion in INTELLIGENCE & PERCEPTIVENESS, at least in my mind. But that’s the fun part of this. Everyone has a different idea, which is why Austen remains timeless. Thanks for joining in!
Yep. My list was the same as yours, but without all the math. 🙂 I think we’ve established that you are not insane. You make a very good argument for your method.
Author
Yeah, who needs math? LOL!
(ICYDK, I’m a business major. Math is my language. Does THAT make me insane?)
I actually agree with this list almost entirely, so no controversy here. 🙂 The only alteration I would make would be to add a 6th qualifying character trait: courage. (We are ranking heroines, after all.) As much as I like Anne Elliot, her timidity always put me off a little. And I admire Elizabeth for being brave enough to face the censure and scorn of the Bingley sisters and for having the courage to speak out and thank Mr. Darcy for helping Lydia, even though she feels awkward about it. (How this extra trait might influence the ranking of the other heroines, I couldn’t say…)
Author
COURAGE is an interesting criterion. I suppose I unconsciously included it in EMOTIONAL STABILITY & MATURITY, but let’s explore it.
It is true that Elizabeth stood up to Lady Catherine, but there is more to courage than speaking out. Remember, impertinence means insolence. In other words, rudeness. You’ll notice that Elizabeth becomes far less impertinent as the book goes on, as she matures. If being outspoken is a sign of courage, then Lady Catherine is the bravest figure in all of Austen’s canon.
So, let’s take a gander at our ladies’ expressions of courage and how I would rank them. Poor Catherine ends up last. The only courage Emma shows is in the various apologies at the end of the novel. Anne doesn’t show well, either, except for standing up for Mrs. Smith and defying Lady Russel’s attempt to match her with Sir William Walter Elliot. If she had one honest conversation with Wentworth, the novel could have been cut in half.
Marianne and Elizabeth act fearlessly, but both are proven foolish. If anything, Marianne is more obnoxious than impertinent. Their courage comes from their vows to reform.
Elinor cannot speak out about her feelings for Edward because he is an engaged man, but she quietly supports and defends her family. However, if standing by one’s principles in the face of unrelenting criticism and temptation is the ultimate sign of courage, then the bravest lady in Austen literature is Fanny Price.
Revised scoring then would be: Catherine – #7; Emma – #6; Marianne – #5; Anne – #4; Elinor & Elizabeth – #2 (tie); Fanny – #1.
I prefer your revised ranking with courage added in, Jack, as I am a firm fan of Fanny Price and not a fan at all of Emma.
And I agree completely with you in this line: “However, if standing by one’s principles in the face of unrelenting criticism and temptation is the ultimate sign of courage, then the bravest lady in Austen literature is Fanny Price.” Yes, indeedy!
This is such a fun conversation!! Thank you, Mr. Caldwell!! 🙂
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
Thanks for exploring that, it was interesting to read! I by no means think Elizabeth is perfect, and will grant you that when she stood up to Lady Catherine it was more insolent than courageous. 🙂 I just really liked that she was willing to have an open conversation with Darcy in the end, because so many of Austen’s heroines stay silent until just the right circumstances come along. Elizabeth might be the only one to have initiated the climactic conversation (even if she wasn’t the first one to mention feelings). However, I completely agree that Fanny Price deserves the top spot for courage!
I like these rankings. Elizabeth is so emotionally immature. She really is. She is a tantrum thrower. I love her, but she’s a total diva. 😉
Author
I see what you’re saying, but I think Marianne’s got her beat in my book.
Well done. I can understand how you thought this out – an exercise I am too lazy to attempt presently. I think I would need to reread the novels and take notes. Although I do think Anne is a favorite even tho’ P&P is my favorite story. Elizabeth took too much at face value and never checked out the facts. Tsk, tsk. Interesting exercise. Thanks for sharing.
Author
Persuasion is my favorite of Austen’s work because everything about the novel is mature, and therefore real-to-life.
Sorry I didn’t get this read until just now, Jack, but look what a fun and thought-provoking post/discussion I inspired! I was going to add one thing to the discussion, but Agnes beat me to it, suggesting that “outgoing personality” isn’t an inherently superior trait but a matter of personal taste. However, it IS your list, so you’re entitled to make up the criteria. 🙂
Shannon, where can I find your original post about Austen’s gentlemen that inspired Jack’s ranking idea?
Hi, Agnes. It was a “Tuesday Trivia” question I posted on the Austen Variations FB page October 3rd. I asked readers to rank the gentlemanly-ness of the Austen heroes, and then I gave my OFFICIAL ANSWER from my source (a book). You can hunt back and find the whole discussion on FB, but I’ll give you the “official” list in case that’s all you wanted. 1)Mr. Knightley, 2)Colonel Brandon, 3)Henry Tilney, 4)Darcy, 5)Edward Ferrars, 6)Cpt. Wentworth, 7)Edmund Bertram
I looked it up and it’s quite interesting, but Regency idea of gentlemanly behavior doesn’t cover as many criteria and character aspects as Jack’s complex list above.
Author
That’s cause I’m a complex guy. Just ask my wife. LOL!
OK, just because Catherine Morland finished at the bottom of your list, what I appreciated is your affectionate respect for her.
I ranked the heroines according to my own perceptions, using your criteria, before scrolling down to read your results. I was quite surprised to find that Elizabeth Bennet didn’t even make my top 3, since she is my favorite (flawed) Austen heroine. My top 3 spots went to 1. Elinor Dashwood, 2. Fanny Price (much higher than she would appear if I listed them by my favorites), and 3 (tie) – Anne Elliot & Emma Woodhouse, who I actively dislike in almost every way. It goes to show how subjective some criteria are; because I value Elizabeth’s wit so highly, it outweighs her selfishness and lack of perception for me to give her the overall preference ranked by my favorites. And while Fanny Price is kind and good, there is something about her that makes it hard for me to really like her. Elinor and Anne are in the top 3 in both of my rankings, and Marianne & Catherine are in the bottom of both!
This was an entertaining way to spend a bit of time this evening – I thank you!