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Jane Austen fans have enjoyed a plethora of characters to dissect over the years, especially romantic ones. This is quite fortunate because in Austen’s books there are a lot of them. Every main character has at least two romantic interests: one that they secretly love and one that is recommended to them by others.
Diving into this rich and varied territory, there is a kaleidoscope of personality traits to admonish and admire. Austen does a fantastic job of making her characters feel real and paints them so vividly in readers’ minds that familiarity with them feels like second nature. Out of the bouquet of leading men who won the hearts of Austen’s main characters, here is how they stack up against one another.
7
Edmund Bertram
‘Mansfield Park’ (1814)
Edmund Bertram is the beige of Jane Austen romantic interests. He is neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm in many respects. He is a kind person and takes care of his younger cousin Fanny when she arrives to live with him and his family in Mansfield Park. Even though Fanny develops romantic feelings for Edmund, he spends the majority of the story pining for Mary Crawford.
Edmund’s admiration for Fanny feels like an afterthought. He only decides he likes Fanny when he has a falling out with Mary and is determined not to love her anymore. Edmund’s last-minute pivot to Fanny feels more like a rebound than a realization. Even though Edmund is more virtuous than the lustful Henry Crawford, he is consistently infatuated with Mary. Though Fanny gets her happily ever after, and they end up together, readers are left to wonder how true his affections for her really are.
6
Henry Tilney
‘Northanger Abbey’ (1818)
Henry Tilney is a great match for Catherine in Northanger Abbey. They share similar interests and love to read, especially Gothic novels. They have different manners, and the sarcastic and charismatic Henry comes to admire the candid and genuine, straightforward nature of Catherine.
Henry was close to his late mother and has a good relationship with his sister. This gives him a keen insight into female feelings, and he expresses knowledge of topics that men of the era had little interest in, like fabric choices for dresses. He empathizes with his mother and sister’s plights and recognizes how his father’s treatment of them was cruel. Unlike other characters in Austen’s novels (Willoughby, Frank Churchill, cough, cough), Henry stands up to his father and proposes to Catherine, despite his objections based on her lack of fortune.
5
Captain Frederick Wentworth
‘Persuasion’ (1818)
An influence over a person can be a powerful thing, and that subject is brought to bear in Persuasion. Although Captain Frederick Wentworth and Anne Elliot are in love, Anne is persuaded by her father and her mentor not to marry him. Captain Wentworth is snubbed by her family as being poor and beneath them socially, and they want Anne to wait and marry a wealthy gentleman instead. After a successful career in the navy, Captain Wentworth comes back into Anne’s life, and they both eventually confess that they have never stopped loving each other.
When Wentworth returns, he is wealthy, successful, and a respected naval officer. His social status has changed, and he is looking for a wife. Although he secretly still loves Anne, he takes the opportunity to get back at her by treating her with indifference and flirting with Louisa Musgrove. Wentworth doesn’t seem to realize that his actions could be misinterpreted by Louisa and her family. Luckily, her feelings for him cease, and he eventually proposes to and marries Anne.
It is hard to blame Wentworth for being a little spiteful around the woman who broke his heart, but doing it at the expense of the young and naive Louisa was careless. Luckily, it ended up in everyone’s favor, and all’s well that ends well. Despite his moody overreaction upon his return, Wentworth is one of Austen’s most endearing heroes because of his fidelity to Anne. Persuasion examines long-lost love from both a male and female perspective, and Wentworth is a figure many can identify with.
4
Edward Ferrars
‘Sense and Sensibility’ (1811)
When readers first meet Edward Ferrars, they wonder if he will be as petty and materialistic as his sister Fanny, but he turns out to be quite the opposite in Sense and Sensibility. Unlike his other two siblings, Edward is humble, kind, and a genuinely nice person. He forms an attachment to Elinor as they spend time together before she and her mother and sisters move out of Norland Park. However, things seem hopeless and complicated for Elinor when she finds out that he has secretly been engaged to Lucy Steele for several years.
For much of the rest of the novel, it appears as though Elinor and Edward will never be together, until a shocking plot twist towards the very end! Austen knew how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats, and Elinor and Edward’s delayed gratification is one of the best. Although Edward did not purposefully mislead anyone, it was harsh for Elinor to hear about his engagement from Lucy instead of him. When eventually confronted by his strict and resentful mother about the engagement, Edward was willing to marry Lucy or set her free since he was disinherited, and he would not go back on his word, which is admirable. Fans rejoice along with Elinor when she and Edward get to be together at last in a surprising twist near the end of the book. Edward is as happy as Elinor to be free to marry her, and their bond based on friendship makes a solid foundation for a happy marriage.
3
Colonel Brandon
‘Sense and Sensibility’ (1811)
To quote the 1995 film version of Sense and Sensibility, Colonel Brandon is “[…] the kindest and best of men.” Suffering numerous heartbreaks, Colonel Brandon perseveres and continues to display love, loyalty, and honor. Brandon is betrayed and conspired against by his father and brother. They force his sweetheart Eliza to marry Brandon’s brother and send him into the army. When he returns, Eliza’s life has taken a tragic turn, and before she dies, he promises to care for her illegitimate daughter, also named Eliza. Brandon again has to pick up the pieces when the younger Eliza is left pregnant and abandoned by Willoughby.
In spite of all of his setbacks, betrayals, and wounds from others, Brandon does not become harsh or cruel. He develops a strong admiration for Marianne Dashwood and wants to marry her. Marianne is not attracted to Brandon at first because he has a more reserved and quiet nature. As she spends time with him, she starts to realize that there is more under the surface, and he does care deeply about passions and pursuits, like music.
It is completely understandable why Brandon keeps his feelings close to the chest. The last time he openly loved someone, everything went wrong, and he was stabbed in the back by those closest to him. Towards the final chapters of the book, Marianne comes to see all the admirable character traits Brandon possesses, and they marry. It will likely take some time for Brandon to be able to let his guard down fully, but a feeling and open person like Marianne is the perfect partner to help him. He is also unfailingly kind to their family and gets along well with Elinor.
2
Fitzwilliam Darcy
‘Pride and Prejudice’ (1813)
If there is a man who can take notes, it’s Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. An aristocrat since birth, Darcy has been largely influenced by the affluent crowd around him and has strict opinions on wealth, social standing, and rank. However, all of these long-held ideals get challenged when he falls in love with the socially less endowed Elizabeth Bennet. In perhaps one of the worst marriage proposals ever, Darcy, who has already persuaded his friend not to propose to Elizabeth’s sister, makes notable mention of her inferior status as he asks for her hand. After being verbally scorned and put in his proper place by Elizabeth, Darcy leaves, but does not retire to sulk in idleness.
As the novel goes on, Darcy takes several significant steps to change. He becomes more civil towards Elizabeth and her family and comes to the rescue of two of her sisters, including poor Jane, who finally gets to marry Mr. Bingley. Darcy starts out as a very prideful and stubborn character but becomes much more open and humble by the end. He allows Elizabeth’s thoughts and observations to influence him, and he doesn’t just talk the talk; he sets about making things right time and again. Darcy and Elizabeth are one of the best enemies-to-lovers in literature and a favorite for movie and TV adaptations.
1
George Knightley
‘Emma’ (1815)
If anyone deserves the blue ribbon for being the best role model for a Jane Austen romantic interest, it is George Knightley in Emma. Knightley proves over and over again in the book how he is sensible, kind, and selfless. He calls Emma out when she behaves rudely toward an older friend and persuades Harriet to reject Robert Martin’s proposal. At every opportunity when Emma makes a blunder, Knightley is there having warned her before, during, or after. Despite his frustrations, he is always respectful and honest with Emma.
Knightley continually puts Emma’s needs ahead of his own. Even though he disliked Frank Churchill, he did not say anything because he thought Emma cared for him. At the end of the book, Knightley agrees to leave his home and move in with Emma and her father after they are married because she does not want to leave him alone. Knightley only ever loved Emma for exactly who she was, first as a friend and then as a romantic partner.
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Lisa Nordin
Almontather Rassoul
