Special Sub-Topic: From Mr. Collins to Mr. Woodhouse Click Here To Play: From Mr. Collins to Mr. Woodhouse

What do Mrs. Jennings, Mrs. Musgrove (not Mary, though), and Mrs. Allen have in common?

All are kindly but somewhat vulgar women.. Mrs. Jennings (S and S)is very kind when Marianne is ill. Mrs. Musgrove (Pers) is the simple, good-hearted matriarch of the Musgrove clan. Mrs. Allen (NA) generously takes Catherine Morland to Bath.

What do Mrs. Norris, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Sir Walter Elliot have common?

All are unsympathetic but funny.. Mrs. Norris (MP) is Fanny's spiteful aunt. Lady Catherine (P and P) tries to prevent her nephew from marrying Elizabeth. Sir Walter (Pers) is Anne's vain, self-centered, neglectful father.

What do Margaret Dashwood, Mary Musgrove (nee Elliot), and Lydia Bennet have in common?

Each is a heroine's younger sister.. Margaret Dashwood (S and S) isn't much of a book character, but she's cute in the Emma Thompson movie. Mary Musgrove (Pers) is an unsympathetic comic character, as is the sexy airhead Lydia Bennet (P and P).

What do Mrs. Gardiner, Lady Russell, and Mrs. Weston have in common?

All are mother substitutes.. Mrs. Gardiner (P and P) is Elizabeth's kind, sensible aunt. Lady Russell (Pers) tries to take Anne's mother's place. Mrs. Weston (Emma) was motherless Emma's governess.

What do Mr. Collins, Mr. Elton, and Mr. Elliot have in common?

Each hopes to marry a heroine.. Mr. Collins (P and P) marries Charlotte Lucas after Elizabeth declines the honor. Mr. Elton marries Miss Hawkins of Bath after Emma turns him down. Mr. Elliot (Pers) suffers a disappointment when Anne becomes engaged to Captain {Wentworth;} the Kellynch heir then runs off with Mrs. Clay.

What do Jane Bennet, Mrs. John Knightley and Elizabeth Elliot have in common?

Each is a heroine's elder sister.. Jane ("Pride and Prejudice") never thinks badly of anyone. Mrs. John Knightley (Emma's older sister Isabella in the novel "Emma") resembles her father: she's kindly and anxious. Elizabeth Elliot ("Persuasion") also takes after her dad: she's self-centered and vain.

What do Mr. Wickham, Mr. Willoughby, and Henry Crawford have in common?

All three are rakes.. Wickham (P and P) runs off with Elizabeth's youngest sister. Willoughby (S and S) seduces Col. Brandon's ward. Crawford (MP) commits adultery with Maria Rushworth (nee Bertram).

What do Mrs. Price, Mrs. Bates, and Mrs. Smith have in common?

All three are poor.. Mrs. Price (MP) is Fanny's mother. Mrs. Bates (Emma) is mother to the talkative Miss Bates and is Jane Fairfax's grandma. Mrs. Smith (Pers) is Anne's old schoolmate who's fallen on hard times.

What's true of Elizabeth and Jane Bennet that's also true of Henrietta and Louisa Musgrove?

They're sisters who are also best friends.. The two eldest Bennet sisters (P and P) get along exceptionally well, as do the Musgrove sisters (Pers).

What's true of Miss Bingley, Lucy Steele, and Isabella Thorpe?

They're young, clever, and disagreeable.. Miss Bingley (P and P) rigs things so that her brother is separated from Jane Bennet. Lucy Steele (S and S) gets herself engaged to first one Ferrars brother, then the other. Isabella Thorpe (NA) jilts Catherine's brother after she finds out he isn't rich.

What makes the Gardiners, the Westons, and the Crofts similar?

They all have happy marriages.. The Gardiners (P and P) are Elizabeth's aunt and uncle. Miss Taylor became Mrs. Weston after Emma acted as matchmaker (says Emma). Admiral and Mrs. Croft (Pers) become Anne's in-laws.

What do Mr. Collins, Mrs. Norris, and Mrs. Clay have in common?

They are all toadies.. Mr. Collins (P and P) dances attendance on Lady Catherine. Mrs. Norris (MP) kisses up to Sir Thomas Bertram, her brother-in-law. Mrs. Clay (Pers) appoints herself chief flatterer to Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot.

What do Miss Darcy, Miss Tilney, Mrs. Croft, and the Bertram sisters have in common?

Each becomes a heroine's sister-in-law.. Miss Darcy (P and P) becomes Elizabeth's sister-in-law. Miss Tilney (NA) becomes Catherine's. Mrs. Croft (Pers) is Captain Wentworth's married sister. The Bertram sisters (MP) are already Fanny's cousins, and when she marries Edmund they become her sisters-in-law. Elinor Dashwood (S and S) acquires a double sister-in-law (Fanny Dashwood)after she marries her half-brother's wife's brother, Edward Ferrars.

What do Mr. Collins, Miss Bates, Tom Bertram, and Mr. Thorpe have in common?

All are nonstop talkers on trivial topics.. The favorite topic of conversation for Mr. Collins (P and P) is his esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine. Miss Bates (Emma)will talk on and on about any trivial topic that comes to mind. Tom (MP) loves to tell anecdotes about his many friends. Mr. Thorpe (Isabella's brother in NA) punctuates his vulgar chatter with mild swear words.

What do Marianne Dashwood, Elizabeth Bennet, and Catherine Morland have in common?

All are fairly open about expressing their emotions.. Marianne (S and S) is sensibility personified. Elizabeth (P and P) tells Darcy off after he injures her beloved sister. Catherine (NA)is very young, ingenuous, and charming.

What do Mr. John Knightley, Mr. Palmer, and Mr. Bennet have in common?

Each tends to speak sarcastically.. Mr. John Knightley (Emma) gets impatient with his father-in-law regarding health matters. Mr. Palmer (S and S) is married to the airheaded but harmless Charlotte, whom he is always putting down. Mr. Bennet (P and P) married a pretty woman who turned out to be vulgar and overly talkative.

What do Mr. Bingley, Charles Musgrove, and Sir John Middleton have in common?

Each is likeable but not very interesting.. Mr. Bingley (P and P) is a perfect match for good-hearted Jane Bennet. Charles Musgrove (Pers) wanted to marry Anne, but ended up with her somewhat irritating sister Mary. Sir John Middleton (S and S) is generous and kind to the Dashwoods, but he's not especially intelligent.

What do Lady Bertram, Mrs. Allen, and Mr. Woodhouse have in common?

All are self-centered, benign, and funny.. Lady Bertram (MP) is a kind, genteel couch potato. Mrs. Allen's chief concern is her clothing (she's Catherine's hostess at Bath in NA). Mr. Woodhouse (Emma)spends most of his time fretting about his own and other people's health.

What do Mr. Rushworth, Mr. Collins, and Sir Walter Elliot have in common?

All are hilarious, unsympathetic characters.. Mr. Rushworth (MP), Maria's fiance, is rich, pompous, and stupid. Mr. Collins (P and P) is overwhelmed by his good fortune when Lady Catherine condescends to patronize him. Sir Walter (Pers) thinks constantly of his own and other people's appearance.

In this quiz writer's opinion (use your intuition), what do Margaret Dashwood, Mrs. Smith, and James Morland have in common?

They are three of Austen's least interesting characters.. Margaret Dashwood (S and S) is much more interesting in the Emma Thompson film. Mrs. Smith (Pers) kinda creeps me out, even though we're supposed to pity her. James Morland (NA) is Catherine's forgettable brother.