Sense and Sensibility's "Fools"
Sir Thomas Middleton: He is a distant relative of the Dashwoods, who provide the cottage at Barton, as well forcing them into the social circle that they reside in within the book. Sir Thomas is very much preoccupied with being sociable, as in having as many people present at dinner as possible. Despite his love for large numbers of people and especially young people, he has not much to say beyond social decorum. Now and then with the help Mrs. Jennings, who though quite funny is not a fool, he is able to poke fun at Elinor's affection for Edward, unknowingly revealing this infection Edward's fiance, Lucy Steele. He is also quite the active fool, in that he participates in creating situations that Elinor and Marianne would rather not participate in such as having dinner with Lady Middleton and the Steele sisters. All in all he is man of good manners, good taste, has a heart appetite for large parties, but lacks any depth beyond his external existence in society.
Lady Middleton: Lady Middleton is a far more passive fool compared to her husband. She is the picture of elegant manners and great insipidity. Beyond affection for her children and her elegant home, she has no feeling, and is rather cold and selfish. This attribute is especially highlighted in her insistence on sending the new Mrs. Willoughby her call card in order to create connections with people great wealth and social status, which is all that really stirs her heart.
John Dashwood: Elinor and Marianne's half brother is a selfish, rather whipped, and hungry to obtain and maintain more wealth. In the novel he is swayed by social propriety to give each of his sisters and mother a thousand pounds a year to live off, but swayed by his wife's greediness and his own lack of moral grounding or any affection for that matter, he essentially drives them to poverty. He also continues to shy away from helping his family insisting, despite his ability to spend the season in London, that he had no money to spare. With these characteristics alone, he is a much more hated fool .
Mrs. Dashwood: Austen describes her as a caricature of John Dashwood's character, thus she is even more shallow, selfish, cold, and money hungry, She achieves a grave dislike by Austen's audience when she claims Norland Park the day after her father-in-law's funeral, having no regard for the grieving family he left behind. She and her other prove to be the major obstacle between Edward Ferrars and happiness, and also serves as obstacle between Edward and Elinor, or rather Lucy as well, being together.
Mrs. Ferrars: A fool and the major obstacle keeping Elinor and Edward from being together. Austen describes her as expressionless and sour, and beyond the characteristics of prideful and ill manner, she has no other memorable qualities. Her greed pushes Edward away from Elinor or any other woman who has no significant fortune, and not surprisingly she favors her amoral and vain younger son to her well mannered, moral elder son. This favoritism eventually leads to her demise as she sets Robert Ferrars as the heir of her fortune which gives him the freedom of marrying whoever without a thought to fiscal need, and he, of course marries, the penniless social climber Lucy, and thus leaving Edward free to marry his true love Elinor.
Lady Middleton: Lady Middleton is a far more passive fool compared to her husband. She is the picture of elegant manners and great insipidity. Beyond affection for her children and her elegant home, she has no feeling, and is rather cold and selfish. This attribute is especially highlighted in her insistence on sending the new Mrs. Willoughby her call card in order to create connections with people great wealth and social status, which is all that really stirs her heart.
John Dashwood: Elinor and Marianne's half brother is a selfish, rather whipped, and hungry to obtain and maintain more wealth. In the novel he is swayed by social propriety to give each of his sisters and mother a thousand pounds a year to live off, but swayed by his wife's greediness and his own lack of moral grounding or any affection for that matter, he essentially drives them to poverty. He also continues to shy away from helping his family insisting, despite his ability to spend the season in London, that he had no money to spare. With these characteristics alone, he is a much more hated fool .
Mrs. Dashwood: Austen describes her as a caricature of John Dashwood's character, thus she is even more shallow, selfish, cold, and money hungry, She achieves a grave dislike by Austen's audience when she claims Norland Park the day after her father-in-law's funeral, having no regard for the grieving family he left behind. She and her other prove to be the major obstacle between Edward Ferrars and happiness, and also serves as obstacle between Edward and Elinor, or rather Lucy as well, being together.
Mrs. Ferrars: A fool and the major obstacle keeping Elinor and Edward from being together. Austen describes her as expressionless and sour, and beyond the characteristics of prideful and ill manner, she has no other memorable qualities. Her greed pushes Edward away from Elinor or any other woman who has no significant fortune, and not surprisingly she favors her amoral and vain younger son to her well mannered, moral elder son. This favoritism eventually leads to her demise as she sets Robert Ferrars as the heir of her fortune which gives him the freedom of marrying whoever without a thought to fiscal need, and he, of course marries, the penniless social climber Lucy, and thus leaving Edward free to marry his true love Elinor.