Fanny Dashwood
Proud and greedy sister-in-law
John’s cold, proud wife, who thinks far more about money than about kindness.
Who is Fanny Dashwood?
Fanny is John Dashwood’s wife and Edward Ferrars’s sister. She is cold, proud and very fond of money. Fanny talks her husband out of helping his sisters and makes it clear that Edward must marry a rich lady. She cares more about her family’s fortune than about anyone’s feelings, which makes life harder for the Dashwoods at the start of the story.
Fanny Dashwood is a character in Sense and Sensibility, the 1811 novel by Jane Austen, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.
What is Fanny Dashwood like?
- cold
- greedy
- proud
Fanny Dashwood’s story
Fanny is the wife of John Dashwood and the sister of Edward and Robert Ferrars. As soon as her father-in-law is buried, she moves into Norland with her small son and treats her husband’s stepmother and sisters like unwelcome guests. She is cold, proud and very careful with money.
She quickly persuades John that he need not give his sisters any help at all. Seeing Edward grow fond of Elinor, she also warns Mrs. Dashwood that her brother is expected to marry someone of great fortune. This makes the Dashwoods leave Norland sooner than they had planned.
In London she barely tolerates Elinor and Marianne, but fusses over Lucy Steele, not knowing that Lucy is the woman her mother most wants Edward to avoid. When the secret engagement is discovered, Fanny falls into hysterics and orders the Steele sisters out of the house. To the end, Fanny is more interested in money and rank than in kindness.
“Mrs. John Dashwood was a strong caricature of himself;—more narrow-minded and selfish.”
A moment to remember
Tapping her chin with a quill pen, Fanny convinces John that three thousand pounds is far too much to give his sisters.
Family and friends
- John Dashwood: her husband
- Edward Ferrars: her older brother
- Robert Ferrars: her younger brother
- Elinor Dashwood: her sister-in-law
Talk about it
Fanny didn’t want to share. How does it feel when someone shares with you, and when someone won’t?
Questions about Fanny Dashwood
- Who is Fanny Dashwood?
- She is John Dashwood’s wife and the sister of Edward and Robert Ferrars. She moves into Norland after Mr. Dashwood’s death.
- Why does Fanny dislike the Dashwood sisters?
- She thinks they are a burden on her husband’s money and a danger to her family’s plans for Edward. She also fears he may marry Elinor, who has no fortune.
- What happens when Fanny hears about Lucy and Edward?
- She has hysterics and throws the Steele sisters out of her house. She is horrified that a young lady with no money could have caught her brother.
Read the story in
Sense and Sensibility
Ages 6–9, 72 pages
