Lucy Steele Sense & Sensibility A Masterclass In Subtle Manipulation

I've never liked Lucy, but I feel like she carries Austin's social criticism the most clearly. She exposes the tragic hypocrisy of that society.

Hot take: while S&S is my 2nd favorite Austin book (Emma’s 1) I actually don’t like the 95 version, as I don’t like Emma Thompson. I love the 08 version. Anyone know of another good version?

You should also do Isabella Thorpe!

I agree 100% that women in those times had very few options for survival. They couldn't even earn a decent living and maintain their respectability. Lucy and others like her are a product of their environment and are doing the best they can. The book said that Lucy was illiterate, which would explain her lack of self-awareness and integrity. Elinor is her polar opposite being very intelligent, educated and fully self governing and emotionally aware. I don't really blame Lucy for her actions as she is ignorant and very much a woman of her times.

Anne Steele is destruere as having a lisp in the novel, I believe, that’s why Davies gave her a dialect. He should rather have given her the lisp- to underscore her lower Intelligence/ or rather refinement. And since Anne and Lucy are sisters, Lucys refinement sets of her ambition that the sister hasn’t got in the same measure.
Just a thought from a danish Austen fan. Thank to your very detailrich and very exclusive person caracteristica ❤

This is off topic, but I just watched your video on Mrs Jennings and wondered if you have looked at the character Tom in Mansfield Park. I have not read this book (yet) for some reason, and recently saw the adaptation with Billie Piper as Fanny Price.  

Tom is introduced there as the first person at Mansfield Park who little Fanny meets, in the early morning when he’s drunk/hungover. There’s a hint that he may even have come off the slave ship that Fanny’s coach passed earlier. 

There are heavy hints that he’s deeply disturbed by his encounters with slavery and the fact of the family and whole estate’s dependency upon it — and that perhaps this underlies his alcohol abuse. 

Fanny, as she matures, is not a fan of slavery, but Edmund apparently has no comment to make on the subject and seems happy to have his clergyman’s “living” which ultimately comes from the same source, the “business” in Antigua. And Fanny too, as his wife.

I wondered how many liberties are taken with the book in this adaptation, or others, or how Tom, and how “the business” of Anyigua are handled.

I can’t help feeling it’s a big plot hole or inconsistency that the socially insignificant Lucy is felt to be so objectionable by the Ferrers as a future wife for Edward the heir — yet apparently acceptable if Robert, as heir, marries her. It doesn’t make sense; she should be all the more objectionable, now that her objective is undeniably social climbing/gold-digging. Still “no better than she should be” but revealed as inconstant, in addition.

"to settle that estate upon Robert immediately". With the way the financial situation was described early on (mom being unusually in control when straight inheritance would have been more normal), I always understood this to mean that Mrs. Ferrars, in a fit of anger, actually relinquished the inheritance to Robert. This would have left him open to choose his own wife, since mom's haste took away her weapon.

I still believe their mother wouldn't allow marriage with Lucy Steal but keep pushing Robert towards a more suitable bride. Nor I believe Lucy could stay in their circle after being a part of the scandal.

One of the key moments in the 1995 version of Lucy Steele that best showed her true colors to me was near the end when she visited Elinor and they were both surprised by Edward’s visit. Poor Edward is stunned to see her and had no idea she had been in London, let alone “at his sister’s house,” as she carefully manipulated that into conversation. Then Lucy has such a warning bite in her tone as she says, “Perhaps Miss Marianne you would think young men NEVER honor their engagements, little or great.” Her penetrating stare is so filled coldness like an owner ready to scold her dog. A manipulative and terrible character but such an astounding actress with her facial expressions and tones.

Love your commentary.

But why is Mrs. Ferras okay with Robert marrying Lucy? Isn’t her social rank underserving of either son?

I wish smb could unfold and fill up Lucy's story and create a mini resies with her as a main chatacter. I understand that it is impossible to compete with Jane Austen but still Lucy's my favourite anti-hero and I wish I could see her more on screen

I have watched both versions of S&S dozens of times. It never occurred to me that Edward may have purposely lost his inheritance! This absolutely makes sense!

Many thanks for the excellent analysis. I understand why Lucy pivots to Robert but don't understand why Mrs. Ferrars supports this. Could you comment? Perhaps I need to reread the book. Thanks again.

I don't know what it says about me, but at least for the 2008 version, Lucy seemed too lacking in "class" to be a genuine threat to Elinor. But I'm not Elinor, and I don't live in Regency England.

Lucy won so 🤷‍♀️

so insightful! thankyou ☺ Don't know if you are taking requests, but I have never been able to find a character analysis video or podcast on Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax in Emma. I find their dynamic and subterfuge so fascinating and would love a deep dive.

Wonderfully perceptive and fun post. ❤ I think Lucy and Robert actually fell in love.

You do a wonderful job at the character analysis. I love hearing your views on each character. Thanks for all your hard research work.

I definitely enjoyed your take on Lucy. I always saw her in the 1995 version as a little dense, not always realizing how much pain she was causing Elinor. Oh, she definitely picked up on the vibes between Elinor & Edward, but I always thought she didn't quite see it right away. I definitely see her a little bit differently now

I disagree. Lucy is a classic female bully. Manipulative, mean spirited, smooth and cooperative on the outside only.

On the point of Mrs. Ferrars’ acceptance of Lucy, I think it really acts as the cherry on top of her story. It’s stated pretty clearly that Mrs. Ferrars was actually furious about it, but Lucy won her over. Pages 266 to 268 of the Modern Library Classics edition lay it out for us. My personal favorite is this line: “… for her respectful humility, assiduous attentions, and endless flatteries… reconciled Mrs. Ferrars to his choice.” Then it goes even further at the bottom of page 267: “Lucy became as necessary to Mrs. Ferrars, as either Robert or Fanny… she was in everything considered… to be a favourite child.” Basically Lucy flattered her way through almost the entire Ferrars family! It’s how she got invited to stay with Fanny, how she made Robert propose, and how she won Mrs. Ferrars’ approval and affection. It brings to mind a line from P&P, said by Mr. Bennet about Wickham: “He simpers, and smirks, and makes love to us all.” I think that would actually make a very interesting discussion, Austen’s portrayal of flattery among her many different characters.

Austen does punish Lucy, as well as Robert - with each other.

At first Mrs Jennings annoyed me. But as the movie went on I began to like her. She is the one who gets things moving and seems to enjoy life to the fullest. You could say she's the antidote to Fannie Dashwood!

I love you analysis

I've just finished listening to S&S, my first time with this novel, and I was absolutely fuming at the way Lucy acted even before she's revealed to have been out for money all along. Even when she's pretending to be friendly, that hint of "warning off" someone who's interested in the same person translates very well! I spent a fair amount of the book thinking she was genuinely in love with Edward, but she was still so passive-aggressive and pointed out to be too clever, socially, and intellectually to have not meant the passive aggression. Put me in mind of women who can't stand other women talking to or being friendly with "their man.:

My take on the Lucy/Edward/Robert dynamic: Edward is too honorable, will not break the engagement to Lucy. Mother Ferris irrevocably (important legal term, I think?) settles everything on Robert. Even she can no longer change it. Robert, younger and jealous brother, sees the opportunity to “one up” his brother, not once, but twice, first by receiving the inheritance, second by stealing what he believes to be Edward’s true love. Lucy was always about the money. She gave zero concern for Edward on any level, ever. In my opinion, the marriage of Lucy and Robert would have been devastating to both Mrs. Ferris and Fanny, but there was nothing they could do. Lucy bested both of them. Lucy’s betrayal of Edward, which “should” have been devastating to him was in fact his greatest relief, as was (as you pointed out) his disinheritance by his family. He was now free to love and marry and live for happiness. I love Jane Austin, and your analyses of her works are definitely among my favorites!

There was no established contact between the Steels and Fanny. In the book it is detailed how afraid Fanny was of the introduction and inviting them over the Dashwoods was a way for Fanny to keeping them away from the family. She only invited them when John suggested inviting her sisters.

It is one of the characters that I can't stand. I didnt feel this visceral hatred even towards Elton in Emma

Lucy condemns herself in her letters. She tries to rewrite her actions and in the process lies to people who obviously know she is lying. She also stole from her sister and then abandoned her. Those are the types of things that catch up with an opportunist like Lucy. Money IS her love.

Lucy Steele is a character that I absolutely love to hate. She is so manipulative and conniving, and in the 1995 adaptation I did feel for her during her confession to Fanny. She truly thought she had found a kindred spirit, she thought that Fanny would be thrilled to know that they would soon be sisters.

It is so easy to dislike Lucy Steele, in part because as 20th Century women we cannot imagine needing to marry well to avoid living in "reduced circumstances". I do not want what she achieved. But had she been able to have a career perhaps she wouldn't have wanted that either.

It’s a shame we don’t get to see how Fannie deals with Lucy marrying Robert. She still has her as a sister in law and must suffer her silliness.

I always thought lucy married robert in a swift strike. Before mrs faress got word of their wedding she nudged him on to get married in plymouth. Before roberts mother could do anything.

Never thought Lucy was subtle, she is as subtle as a heart attack to me. The one thing that is kept quiet about Lucy (to me at least) is that Lucy isn't just about the money, I mean she just doesn't manipulate and hurt and Elinor or hold Edward to his promise because of money.
What terrifies Lucy is that her prospects were narrow before Edward because of her lack of dowry, if Edward had thrown her over after a four year engagement for a daughter of a gentleman with very little money to her name as well people would assume that there has to be something wrong in Lucy character or conduct and she would have dropped down the marriage market ladder another rung.

Thank you for the analysis! I appreciate how neither you (nor Austen) judges Lucy... Marriage remains a social climbing and financial transaction today, in some circles. I like how Lucy is credited here for being adaptive. I believe such an opportunist, when recognized, can be accepted by elite families if she falls in line with the ways of the family. However, in S&S, Mrs. Ferrars rejected Edward due to his engagement to Lucy. Question: why would Mrs. Ferrars finally accept Lucy with Robert if she had disapproved of her with Edward? Thanks in advance!

Funny ... the world hasn't changed much. Appearances are still valued more highly than integrity - not with all, but I dare to say most? Thank you so much. I truly enjoy your work.

Omawiasz wspaniale ten serial. A czy pamiętasz serial BBC z 1974 roku Pallisers ? Według A.Trollope .

In my opinion, Lucy is a master class in the study of one of those manipulative sociopaths that knows how to read a room to their advantage. To me she is a very scary character. But like all sociopaths, due to ego, she can overreach. Which is the case when she trusted in confidence her future sister-in-law.

I agree that Austen rewards Lucy with marriage to a rich man and acceptance in his family - all it took was selling her soul and being completely devoid of dignity and morality 🤣

I had a hard time with the casting of Emma Thompson as Elinor. And I didn’t particularly care for Hugh Grant, as Edward in that version either. He was too smirky, and she was not the right age for the part at all. I love her, but the casting didn’t work for me. I guess I quite often feel this way when big stars are cast in classic literature. It can work, but it can also take you out of the plot and right on into Hollywood.

And so it goes… it’s the same world today

I do feel that the actor in the 1995 version plays a better undercurrent of deception than in the 2008.

Lucy is cruel. She only came to cause pain to a woman she never knew. Lucy wants his money.
And she reminds me of Caroline Bingley with her social climbing. Although Caroline is not an expert like Lucy.
Lucy knows it will hurt Elinor to keep holding Edward’s engagement over her head and goading her by talking about the Ferrara family. She has won. Why twist the knife if not for cruelty?

If Lucy was not in place, Mrs. F was negotiating a strategic marriage for Edward. He'd have been in the same box committed to someone else than Elinor. So, it was fine for Lucy to chase money after being attached to Edward...but Willoughby is castigated. (Brandon's ward's downfall was Brandon's fault. His lack of responsibility--even led to believe it was somehow "bad blood" from her mother.)

Lucy reminds me of Mansfield Park’s, Mary Crawford. Miss Crawford is seemingly aware of Fanny Price’s affection for Edmund and befriends her, which is reminiscent of the phrase, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Both Austen characters, Lucy Steele and Mary Crawford, make my skin crawl with irritation.

“Someone who is constantly reading the room to survive” I never made this connection before! The social skills Lucy has had to learn in order to survive and move in society are what have stood her in good stead as a 1st class manipulator.

Thank you for clearing up the one apparent inconsistency that for years has bothered me about this story - why Lucy could not marry Edward but could marry Robert. Hearing the explanation makes sense and puts all the pieces in their place.