I’ve just finished Sense and Sensibility for the first time, and I really, wholeheartedly believed that Elinor and Colonel Brandon would end up together until the last three or four chapters. It makes significantly more sense to me from both a romantic standpoint, and in order to depict the message of the book.
If the criticism is too much sense (Elinor & Edward) vs too much sensibility (Marianne & Willoughby), Edward cannot be who Elinor ends up with. As a depiction of too much sense (believing against any reasonable sensibility that he must continue a loveless engagement made in the folly of youth), Edward must be cast off by Elinor. Elinor must realize that in coaxing a reticent, sullen man to conversation, in falling for a shy and idle man with an exceedingly unpleasant family, simply because he seems unburdened by excessive sensibility, she is exercising too much sense, and not enough of her own sensibility. She speaks so much more fondly of Colonel Brandon’s warmth and conversation, his ease of character and respectability. They are mutually understanding of the pain of imprudent relatives, and throughout the story are the only two that consistently behave with decorum. Just as Marianne must realize her attachment to Willoughby was all folly of sensitivity, Elinor should realize hers to Edward all dependent on sense without any regard for her own emotions. If Marianne learns to exert herself and realize her imprudence in the service of sensibility alone, there must be a parallel of Elinor learning to accept the balance between sense and sensibility. As for Colonel Brandon, I always assumed his affections for Marianne were misinterpreted (as are MANY actions throughout the book) as being romantic, when they were in actuality paternal. His fondness of her, reminding him of his charge, his protectiveness of her from Willoughby stemming from his behavior toward Eliza. I always believed that Elinor would learn to respect her own sensibility by realizing that she had been denying her own affection for Colonel Brandon for so long because she felt it to be more prudent to wish him a match for her sister. That his kindness and respect for her mind, talents, and conversation, would refer him more to Elinor than Edward, who is only really painted in a light of idleness, resignation, and awkwardness. I pictured Colonel Brandon’s gesture toward Edward with the Delaford living to be in the service of bettering someone who was held in esteem by his object of affection; a way to ease Elinor’s worry even if it bettered the man she loved more than him. Elinor’s affection for Edward is a mystery to the reader, which to me until the very last two or three chapters suggested that he was being used to illustrate the dangers of too much sense, not that he was really the best match for Elinor. Even when he has proposed and is revealing to Elinor his inner thoughts of the whole affair, his justification mirrors Willoughby’s! He tells her he perceived no danger in becoming close to her, because he was already attached, and concealing that fact. Willoughby tells Elinor that he perceived no danger in leading Marianne along because he was in no danger of becoming attached to a woman of little means, and he concealed that fact from her! Even when Edward’s behavior is meant to depict him as a foil for Willoughby - in the case of his refusing to break off a love-match engagement with Lucy simply for money, whereas Willoughby easily discards a love match for money - his lack of sensibility is clear. He does not actually love Lucy, but won’t risk acting on his true emotions for fear of imprudence.
Finally, I found the prospect of Marianne and Colonel Brandon completely impossible, both from their respective temperaments and their difference in age. I thought surely if the age gap is severe enough to be remarkable at the time the book was written, they couldn’t possibly end up together. If anything, Marianne marrying Brandon would be a pendulum swing too far in the direction of sense. Of course, Willoughby’s tendency toward imprudence and emotion was too much, but I cannot picture Marianne (even in her transformed state) to be happy with someone consistently referred to as “grave.” The epilogue serves to convince us of each pair’s domestic felicity, but they both seem too conveniently written, given their behavior for the previous 300 pages.
I don’t know. I found the book significantly more eventful and allegorically clear than P&P or Persuasion, so I was shocked by the ending when the allegory had seemed so clear to me. I’d love to hear what y’all think of it, if anyone agrees with what I read into it, or if y’all really love Elinor and Edward/Marianne and Brandon together.
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