# Mr. Palmer — Sense and Sensibility character guide

> Mr. Palmer in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Palmer

**First appearance:** 0019-xx

## Snapshot

Mrs. Palmer's gruff, sardonic husband, a man of Epicurean tastes and conceit who is courteous to strangers but casually rude to his own family.

## Who they are

Mr. Palmer arrives in the novel as a gentleman of fashion and self-regard, perfectly civil to visitors yet openly contemptuous of his wife and mother-in-law. Elinor finds him capable of pleasant company, spoiled only by his excessive opinion of his own superiority, his nice eating, and his idle mornings at billiards. His selfishness and conceit serve as a foil to Edward Ferrars's generous temper, sharpening Elinor's appreciation for the man she quietly loves.

## Relationships

### [Elinor Dashwood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/characters/elinor_dashwood)

_social_

Elinor is a patient acquaintance of the rude and sarcastic Mr. Palmer, who respects her composure.

### [Mrs. Jennings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/characters/mrs_jennings)

_family_

Mr. Palmer is Mrs. Jennings' son-in-law, treating her with barely concealed contempt and rudeness.

### [Elinor Dashwood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/characters/elinor_dashwood)

_social_

Elinor is a patient acquaintance of the rude and sarcastic Mr. Palmer, who respects her composure.

### [Mrs. Jennings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/characters/mrs_jennings)

_family_

Mr. Palmer is Mrs. Jennings' son-in-law, treating her with barely concealed contempt and rudeness.

### [Mrs. Jennings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/characters/mrs_jennings)

_family_

Mr. Palmer is Mrs. Jennings' son-in-law, treating her with barely concealed contempt and rudeness.

## In the story

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

Depicted as droll and ill-humored, but Elinor suspects his behavior is a bid for distinction.

### [Chapter XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/chapters/xxvii)

Attends the ball; speaks briefly with Elinor, showing his usual indifference.

### [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/chapters/xlii)

Arrives with Colonel Brandon; behaves politely to visitors but is occasionally rude to his wife and mother-in-law; fond of his child and idle.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/characters/mr_palmer
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sense_and_sensibility_se/characters