How old is Margaret Dashwood?

Margaret is thirteen when Sense and Sensibility begins. She is the youngest of the three Dashwood sisters.

What does Margaret see Willoughby do?

She sees Willoughby cut a lock of Marianne’s hair and put it in his pocketbook. She takes it as a sign the two are about to marry.

Does Margaret go to London with Elinor and Marianne?

No. She stays behind in Devonshire while her sisters go to London.

From Sense and Sensibility

Margaret Dashwood

Cheerful youngest sister

Thirteen-year-old Margaret loves outdoor adventures and always speaks her mind.

Who is Margaret Dashwood?

Margaret is the youngest Dashwood sister, thirteen, curious and cheerful. She loves adventure stories, romping outdoors and saying exactly what she thinks. At Barton Cottage she races over the windy hills with Marianne and jumps for joy at the idea of a picnic. Margaret notices things the grown-ups miss and can hardly keep an exciting secret to herself.

Margaret Dashwood is a character in Sense and Sensibility, the 1811 novel by Jane Austen, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Margaret Dashwood like?

curious
cheerful
outspoken

Margaret Dashwood’s story

Margaret is the youngest of the three Dashwood sisters and is thirteen when the book begins. She is good-humored and cheerful, and has taken in a good deal of Marianne’s romantic spirit without having much of her good sense. She moves to Barton Cottage with the others and goes on long walks over the hills with Marianne.

She is also sharp-eyed. When Willoughby visits, Margaret notices what the grown-ups miss and announces it. She is sure that Marianne and Willoughby will be married, since he has a lock of her hair, and she teases Elinor with guesses about who Elinor’s special person might be. Her bold remarks make the family blush, though Marianne often scolds her for them.

Margaret does not travel to London with her sisters or to Cleveland, so she is spared the worst of Marianne’s illness. She is a happy young person who adds liveliness to the cottage in what is otherwise a sad period for the family. Like the rest of the Dashwoods, she benefits when her sisters marry well and the family settles close together.

“a good-humored, well-disposed girl”

Jane Austen, the narrator, describing Margaret. From the original 1811 novel by Jane Austen.

A moment to remember

Margaret rushes to tell Elinor that she saw Willoughby snip a lock of Marianne’s hair and tuck it into his pocketbook.

Marianne Dashwood: her older sister and walking partner
Elinor Dashwood: her eldest sister
Mrs. Dashwood: her mother
John Willoughby: the man she spies a secret about

Talk about it

Margaret couldn’t wait to share what she saw. When is it okay to share a secret, and when should you keep it?

Questions about Margaret Dashwood

How old is Margaret Dashwood?: Margaret is thirteen when Sense and Sensibility begins. She is the youngest of the three Dashwood sisters.
What does Margaret see Willoughby do?: She sees Willoughby cut a lock of Marianne’s hair and put it in his pocketbook. She takes it as a sign the two are about to marry.
Does Margaret go to London with Elinor and Marianne?: No. She stays behind in Devonshire while her sisters go to London.