John Willoughby
Dashing but selfish gentleman
A dashing young gentleman who rescues Marianne on the hills during a storm. He is charming and full of fun, but is he as dependable as he seems?
Who is John Willoughby?
Willoughby is a dashing young man who lives nearby and rescues Marianne when she hurts her ankle. He reads poetry, sings and seems to love all the same things she does. But he cares too much about money and fine living, and the choices he makes bring sadness to Marianne and regret to himself.
John Willoughby is a character in Sense and Sensibility, the 1811 novel by Jane Austen, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.
What is John Willoughby like?
- charming
- dashing
- selfish
John Willoughby’s story
Willoughby appears when Marianne sprains her ankle on a hillside and he carries her home. Handsome, lively and fond of poetry, he wins the whole cottage over. He spends hours with Marianne, and everyone expects him to propose. He is the heir of a rich old cousin, Mrs. Smith, and he lives well on money that is not really his.
Then, suddenly, Mrs. Smith sends him away from Allenham, and he leaves for London with no explanation. Later he cruelly avoids Marianne, writes her a cold note and marries Miss Grey for her fortune. It also comes out that he had treated Colonel Brandon’s young ward, Eliza, badly.
When he hears that Marianne is dying, he rides to Cleveland to speak to Elinor. He says he truly loved Marianne and made terrible choices out of a fear of being poor. Elinor feels sorry for him but does not excuse him. He later lives comfortably but never happily, and always regrets what he lost.
“The world had made him extravagant and vain—Extravagance and vanity had made him cold-hearted and selfish.”
A moment to remember
Seeing Marianne hurt on the wet hillside, Willoughby drops his gun, runs down the slope and carries her home in his arms.
Family and friends
- Marianne Dashwood: the girl he loves and abandons
- Colonel Brandon: the man whose ward he wronged
- Elinor Dashwood: hears his confession
- Sir John Middleton: the friend who brings him to Barton
Talk about it
Willoughby seemed like a perfect hero at first. What matters more in a friend: being exciting, or being kind and honest?
Questions about John Willoughby
- Why does Willoughby leave Marianne?
- He is short of money and, after his rich cousin disowns him, he decides to marry a wealthy woman instead. He writes Marianne a cold letter.
- Who does Willoughby marry?
- He marries Miss Sophia Grey, a young woman with a large fortune. He marries her for her money, not out of love.
- Does Willoughby regret what he did?
- Yes. He confesses to Elinor that he truly loved Marianne and knows he has lost her, and he stays unhappy about it for life.
Read the story in
Sense and Sensibility
Ages 6–9, 72 pages
