Who was Jane Austen’s best heroine? These experts think they know

By Julie Taddeo, Research Professor, History Affiliate Faculty, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, University of Maryland
Emma Claire Sweeney, Senior Lecturer In Creative Writing, The Open University
James Smith, Lecturer in English Literature, 1660-1780, Royal Holloway University of London
Katherine Halsey, Professor of English Studies, University of Stirling
Leigh Wetherall Dickson, Associate professor, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Nada Saadaoui, PhD Candidate in English Literature, University of Cumbria
Victorina Gonzalez-Diaz, Reader in English Language , University of Liverpool

To mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, we’re pitting her much-loved heroines against each other in a battle of wit, charm and sass. Seven leading Austen experts have made their case for her ultimate heroine, but the winner is down to you. Cast your vote in the poll at the end of the article, and let us know the reason for your choice in the comments. This is Jane Austen Fight Club – it’s bonnets at dawn…

Elinor Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility

Championed by Julie Taddeo, research professor…

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