Brothers and Sisters
"A family of ten children will be always called a fine family, where there are heads and arms and legs enough for the number."
Statistics
- Siblings, conservatively estimated: 173
- All seven heroines have siblings.
- All seven heroes have siblings.
- Cads Willoughby and Wickham have no siblings.
- Number of siblings who are major characters in each novel:
- Sense and Sensibility: 12
- Pride and Prejudice: 16
- Mansfield Park: 12
- Emma: 9
- Northanger Abbey: 7
- Persuasion: 13
- Total of important or principal characters who have siblings in the novels: 69
- Number of children: 22 (does not include all the children in the novels)
- With children subtracted from the grand total number of siblings, there are 151 characters remaining who are siblings.
- There are 91 sisters among the principal siblings and 23 brothers.
- There are also incidental characters that have bit parts and inconsequential characters who are mentioned only once, e. g., the Misses Owen.
- If an indefinite number of siblings is listed, the younger Miss Lucases, for instance, they are counted as two only. The same with sons.
- Half bloods are counted as whole persons—never mind what Mrs. John Dashwood says.
- Not counted are any ambiguities, e.g., Mrs. Long's two nieces.
- Asterisk indicates a non-principal character.
Note: We look to our JASNA brothers & sisters to alert us to any discrepancy.