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The private balls at the Park then began; and parties on the
water were made and
accomplished as often as a showery October would allow. In every
meeting of the kind
Willoughby was included; and the ease and familiarity which
naturally attended theseparties were exactly calculated to give
increasing intimacy to his acquaintance with the
Dashwoods, to afford him opportunity of witnessing the
excellencies of Marianne, of
marking his animated admiration of her, and of receiving, in her
behaviour to himself,the most pointed assurance of her affection.
(11.1)
This description makes it seem as though Willoughby must be
convinced to fall in love
with Marianne there's something almost legalistic about this
language. Does this imply
that men and women somehow fall in love differently?
The evening passed off in the equal indulgence of feeling. She
played over every
favourite song that she had been used to play to Willoughby,
every air in which their
voices had been oftenest joined, and sat at the instrument
gazing on every line of music
that he had written out for her, till her heart was so heavy
that no farther sadness could
be gained; and this nourishment of grief was every day applied.
She spent whole hoursat the pianoforte alternately singing and
crying; her voice often totally suspended by her
tears. In books, too, as well as in music, she courted the
misery which a contrast betweenthe past and present was certain of
giving. She read nothing but what they had been used
to read together. (16.3)
Marianne's melodramatic, self-indulgent behavior demonstrates
her beliefs about love
she thinks that it's supposed to be just like it is in novels.
Ironically, it's through this novelthat we see how very wrong this
supposition is. Austen shows us that love is more
complex and nuanced than simply swooning about and delighting in
sorrow.
"Oh! no; but if mama had not objected to it, I dare say he would
have liked it of allthings. He had not seen me then above twice,
for it was before I left school. However Iam much happier as I am.
Mr. Palmer is just the kind of man I like." (20.32)
Charlotte Palmer's statement here about her husband proves that
it really does take all
kinds she loves her husband, not in spite of his rudeness, but
perhaps because of it.
Austen proves once again that love is a mystery.
Had Edward been intentionally deceiving her? Had he feigned a
regard for her which he
did not feel? Was his engagement to Lucy an engagement of the
heart? No; whatever it
might once have been, she could not believe it such at present.
His affection was all her
own. She could not be deceived in that. Her mother, sisters,
Fanny, all had beenconscious of his regard for her at Norland; it
was not an illusion of her own vanity. He
certainly loved her. What a softener of the heart was this
persuasion! How much could it
not tempt her to forgive! He had been blameable, highly
blameable, in remaining atNorland after he felt her influence over
him to be more than it ought to be. In that, he
could not be defended; but if he had injured her, how much more
had he injured himself!
If her case were pitiable, his was hopeless. His imprudence had
made her miserable for awhile; but it seemed to have deprived
himself of all chance of ever being otherwise. She
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might in time regain tranquillity; but he, what had he to look
forward to? Could he ever
be tolerably happy with Lucy Steele? could he, were his
affection for herself out of the
question, with his integrity, his delicacy, and well-informed
mind, be satisfied with awife like her -- illiterate, artful, and
selfish? (23.1)
Poor, poor Elinor. She realizes that love should truly be a
match of equals and thatLucy Steele is certainly not Edward's equal
(obviously, she herself is).
"But I did not love only him; -- and while the comfort of others
was dear to me, I wasglad to spare them from knowing how much I
felt. Now, I can think and speak of it with
little emotion. I would not have you suffer on my account; for I
assure you I no longer
suffer materially myself. I have many things to support me. I am
not conscious of havingprovoked the disappointment by any
imprudence of my own, and I have borne it as
much as possible without spreading it farther. I acquit Edward
of all essential
misconduct. I wish him very happy; and I am so sure of his
always doing his duty, that
though now he may harbour some regret, in the end he must become
so. Lucy does not
want sense, and that is the foundation on which everything good
may be built. And afterall, Marianne, after all that is bewitching
in the idea of a single and constant attachment,
and all that can be said of one's happiness depending entirely
on any particular person, itis not meant -- it is not fit -- it is
not possible that it should be so. Edward will marry
Lucy; he will marry a woman superior in person and understanding
to half her sex; and
time and habit will teach him to forget that he ever thought
another superior to her."(37.13)
Elinor's approach to love comes out clearly here she claims that
she's basically reasoned
her way out of sorrow (which we know not to be true). She
attempts to conquer love and
heartbreak with logic.
"I have not a doubt of it," said Marianne; "and I have nothing
to regret -- nothing but myown folly." (47.8)
Marianne's views on love are clearly changing she recognizes
that she herself was a
fool for love with Willoughby, and now repents.
Elinor could sit it no longer. She almost ran out of the room,
and as soon as the door wasclosed, burst into tears of joy, which
at first she thought would never cease. Edward,
who had till then looked any where, rather than at her, saw her
hurry away, and perhaps
saw -- or even heard -- her emotion; for immediately afterwards
he fell into a reverie,
which no remarks, no inquiries, no affectionate address of Mrs.
Dashwood couldpenetrate, and at last, without saying a word,
quitted the room, and walked out towards
the village, leaving the others in the greatest astonishment and
perplexity on a change in
his situation, so wonderful and so sudden -- a perplexity which
they had no means oflessening but by their own conjectures.
(48.17)
Finally, Elinor's emotions break free of her controlling "sense"
and overcome, she has
to flee the room. Yay! We're also kind of overcome by this
scene.
