Essay Questions

What do most of the characters in the novel have in common?

Most of the characters in the novel seem to be trying to live off the riches of others. In some ways this also includes Lady Denham, Although she is both a member of the aristocracy, and very wealthy (perhaps the wealthiest person in Sanditon), she did not achieve either of these things herself. She inherited her title and her home from one husband, and her money from the other.

Lady Denham's nephews and nieces all seem preoccupied with getting their hands on the family fortune, and probably have some right to this given that Lady Denham's wealth came from their blood relative. Similarly, Mr Parker's siblings also seem poised to take advantage of both his work ethic and his success; feigning invalidity, they are staying with him for an unspecified amount of time, and this does not bode well for their real intentions.

Why does Mr Parker want to develop Sanditon?

Mr Parker loves Sanditon and he wants what he feels will be best for the town moving forwards. A couple of years before the start of the novel, it was a tiny town, basically a fishing town known only to its residents. Mr Parker is somewhat of an entrepreneur and is aware of the trend for seaside resorts; Victorian England was really the start of the traditional seaside resort vacation, and he wants to get in on the ground floor of this opportunity.

He also wants to develop Sanditon because he can see that there is a great need for something other than the fishing industry to sustain it. He does not want to see the town that he loves start to decline, especially with increased industrialization creeping in. His intentions are genuine with regard to the future of the town and its inhabitants and he also stands to make a lot of money from the development.