The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Sylvia Green is the second protagonist in the novel. In many ways, her personality contrasts with Bonnie’s, except in her general kindness and generosity. Her introduction in the novel emphasizes her relationship with Aunt Jane and the necessity of her move to Willoughby Chase:

Sylvia was an orphan, both her parents having been carried off by a fever when she was only an infant. She lived with her Aunt Jane, who […] had written to Sir Willoughby to suggest that he take on the care of the little girl. He had agreed at once to this proposal, for Sylvia, he knew, was delicate, and the country air would do her good. Besides, he welcomed the idea of her gentle companionship for his rather harum-scarum Bonnie (18).

Sylvia develops more than any other character in the novel. She begins as “delicate” and retiring, which makes a good impression on Miss Slighcarp, but her fears and anxieties often prevent her from behaving more decisively and confidently. At the beginning of the novel, Sylvia is afraid to speak to Mr. Grimshaw, but that same fearfulness allows him to wear her down and convince her to trust him. She is thus overly obedient and meek, which leaves her vulnerable to the manipulations of others.  

When Miss Slighcarp locks Bonnie up in the cupboard, however, Sylvia forces herself to be brave and go to beg for leniency. That first dose of courage results in Sylvia and Bonnie discovering Miss Slighcarp’s primary plot to take over Willoughby Chase. Later, that same courage in defense of good friends inspires Sylvia to go with Sir Willoughby to free her friends from Mrs. Brisket’s school, and to speak up even to intimidating adults to advocate for the orphans. Her role as both orphan and privileged family member of Sir Willoughby puts her in a position to understand the orphans’ plight while having some power to make a difference. She also steps into the role of carer for Aunt Jane when Aunt Jane is found ill, offering Aunt Jane compassion and care in a mature and decisive fashion. 

Thus, even though she’s invited to Willoughby Chase largely to counteract some of Bonnie’s less-than-ladylike tendencies, Sylvia is actually bolstered by Bonnie’s cheerful bravery and strength. She becomes more confident and independent, advocating for herself when necessary and helping others when she can.

Simon is a supporting character who helps Sylvia and Bonnie, and exemplifies the elements of fantasy in The Wolves Chronicles. When he’s first introduced, he appears out of the woods at a moment of peril, described in Sylvia’s point-of-view: “Sylvia found a lithe, bright-eyed boy beside her, helping her on. Taller than Bonnie, he was dressed entirely in skins. He wore a fur cap, carried a bow, and had a sheaf of arrows slung over his shoulder” (54). Simon’s clothes characterize him as part of the natural world, rather than embedded in society like Bonnie and Sylvia. He lives in a cave with his geese which further connects him to nature, and he seems to have appeared from thin air both in his first introduction in the novel, and when he first arrived at Willoughby Chase. Bonnie explains to Sylvia that Simon arrived “one autumn day, and asked if he might live in that cave in the park […] My father asked what he proposed to live on. He said, chestnuts and goose eggs. He had a goose and a gander that he had reared from chicks” (63-64). True to his word, Simon has built a business from the geese, which he takes to London every year to sell and fund any incidentals he can’t get from the forest.

Simon is instrumental in all the major elements of the girls’ success. When they’re threatened by the wolves coming off the ice, he’s there to shepherd them to safety. When they find themselves imprisoned at Mrs. Brisket’s school, Simon appears to provide a key, clothes, and company to help them escape. Without his annual journey to London, the girls wouldn’t have been able to reach Mr. Gripe and Aunt Jane to right the wrongs at Willoughby Chase. Simon proves to be continually trustworthy and protective, while honoring the girls’ individuality. Importantly, Simon is also the thread that leads from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase to the rest of The Wolves Chronicles books.

Miss Letitia Slighcarp is the primary antagonist in The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. It is her deviousness and plotting that lands Sir Willoughby and Lady Green on the ship intended to wreck, and her goal is to take over Willoughby Chase and leave the girls disinherited and neglected. She is described as “an immensely tall, thin lady, clad from neck to toe in a traveling dress of swathed gray twill, with a stiff collar, dark glasses, and dull green buttoned boots” (11). Even when she puts on Lady Green’s gown, her aura is severe and colorless. Her interest is only in her own gain at the expense of everyone around her. She has no patience for either girl, although she clearly prefers Sylvia’s meekness to Bonnie’s gregarious and impetuous nature. 

Miss Slighcarp is actively cruel throughout the novel: She’s a fully static character defined by greed, selfishness, and cruelty. She’s also definitively a symbol of deception, as even her first night at the Chase, she’s revealed to be something other than what she seems: “Miss Slighcarp reeled under the impact—her bonnet came off, so did her gray hair, which, apparently was a wig, leaving her bald, dripping, and livid with rage” (13). The false grey hair indicates Slighcarp’s inherent tendency to deceive, which is reinforced with her secret meeting with Mrs. Brisket, and the late revelation of the forged letter of recommendation she provided to Mr. Gripe. Her selfishness and cunning contrast with the kindness and loyalty that characters such as Bonnie, Sylvia, and Simon embody.