# Sir Walter Elliot — Persuasion character guide

> Sir Walter Elliot in Persuasion by Jane Austen.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Walter Elliot, Sir Walter, the Sir Walter Elliot, Walter, Elliot, XV Sir Walter

**First appearance:** 0000-i

## Snapshot

A baronet so devoted to his own reflection and his entry in the Baronetage that he cannot see the debts closing in around Kellynch Hall.

## Who they are

Sir Walter Elliot opens the book by reading his own family history for pleasure, and his vanity of person and situation governs every decision he makes. He spends beyond his means, despises the navy as a source of upstart wealth, and values his daughters chiefly as ornaments. His refusal to economize forces the Elliots out of Kellynch and into Bath, the displacement that brings Anne back into Wentworth's orbit.

## Relationships

### [Anne Elliot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/characters/anne_elliot)

_family_

Distant, neglectful father-daughter relationship, with Sir Walter valuing vanity and status over Anne.

### [Mr. Elliot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/characters/mr_elliot)

_family_

Cousins with a manipulative dynamic, as Mr. Elliot flatters Sir Walter to secure his inheritance and social standing.

### [Anne Elliot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/characters/anne_elliot)

_family_

Distant, neglectful father-daughter relationship, with Sir Walter valuing vanity and status over Anne.

### [Anne Elliot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/characters/anne_elliot)

_family_

Distant, neglectful father-daughter relationship, with Sir Walter valuing vanity and status over Anne.

### [Mr. Elliot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/characters/mr_elliot)

_family_

Cousins with a manipulative dynamic, as Mr. Elliot flatters Sir Walter to secure his inheritance and social standing.

### [Mr. Elliot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/characters/mr_elliot)

_family_

Cousins with a manipulative dynamic, as Mr. Elliot flatters Sir Walter to secure his inheritance and social standing.

## In the story

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/i)

A vain and financially imprudent baronet who prides himself on his appearance and lineage, but is growing distressed by debt.

### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/ii)

Rejects Lady Russell's retrenchment plans, preferring to quit Kellynch Hall rather than reduce his style of living, and eventually decides to move to Bath.

### [Chapter III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/iii)

Expresses strong prejudice against the navy, criticizing its social mobility and physical toll on sailors.

### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/iv)

Disapproved of the engagement to Captain Wentworth due to his lack of fortune and connections.

### [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/v)

Flattered by Mr. Shepherd's assurances; approves the Crofts as tenants; prepares to remove to Bath.

### [Chapter XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/xv)

Proud of his house in Camden Place and delighted with Bath society. He is fully reconciled with Mr. Elliot, praising his appearance and connections, though he laments Mr. Elliot being 'underhung.'

### [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/xvi)

Sir Walter shows excessive attention to Mrs. Clay, compliments Anne's improved looks, and eagerly pursues a renewal of the family connection with Lady Dalrymple.

### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/xx)

Present at the concert with his daughters and Mrs. Clay; gives a distant bow to Captain Wentworth.

### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/chapters/xxiv)

Sir Walter makes no objection to the marriage, impressed by Wentworth's appearance and name, and prepares to record the marriage in the volume of honour.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/characters/sir_walter_elliot
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/persuasion_se/characters