Such behaviour as this, so exactly the reverse of her own, appeared no more meritorious to Marianne, than her own had seemed faulty to her.
Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 19
Category Archives: Sense vs. Sensibility
Self-knowledge (or not)
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Filed under Elinor, Marianne, Self-command, Sense and Sensibility, Sense vs. Sensibility
Other points
“But there are other points to be considered besides his inclination.”
Sense and Sensibility, v. 1, ch. 4
(. . . Like his horrible mother.) More of sensible Elinor
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Imagination vs. truth
Marianne was astonished to find how much the imagination of her mother and herself had outstripped the truth.
Sense and Sensibility, volume 1, chapter 4
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Polite lies
Marianne was silent; it was impossible for her to say what she did not feel, however trivial the occasion; and upon Elinor therefore the whole task of telling lies when politeness required it, always fell.
Sense and Sensibility, volume 1, chapter 21
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Constant and painful exertion
"The composure of mind with which I have brought myself at present to consider the matter, the consolation that I have been willing to admit, have been the effect of constant and painful exertion; they did not spring up of themselves; they did not occur to relieve my spirits at first. No, Marianne. Then, if I had not been bound to silence, perhaps nothing could have kept me entirely—not even what I owed to my dearest friends—from openly showing that I was very unhappy."
Sense and Sensibility, volume 3, chapter 1
Elinor to Marianne
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Capable of feeling
"If you can think me capable of ever feeling, surely you may suppose that I have suffered now."
Sense and Sensibility, volume 3, chapter 1
Elinor to Marianne
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A sister’s feelings
"You do not suppose that I have ever felt much."
Sense and Sensibility, volume 3, chapter 1
Elinor to Marianne
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Till that instant
. . . in the acuteness of the disappointment which followed such an ecstasy of more than hope, she felt as if, till that instant, she had never suffered.
Sense and Sensibility, volume 2, chapter 9
Of Marianne, on finally receiving a letter and discovering it is from her mother when she thought it would be from Willoughby
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Perfect understanding
“Have we not perfectly understood each other?”
Sense and Sensibility, volume 1, chapter 15
Mrs. Dashwood on what Willoughby’s actions have told her of his love. How little she really understood!
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Talk vs. action
“I have not wanted syllables where actions have spoken so plainly.”
Sense and Sensibility, volume 1, chapter 15
Mrs. Dashwood on her assumption that Marianne and Willoughby are engaged, in spite of the fact that they have not told her so
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Filed under Mrs. Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility, Sense vs. Sensibility, Uncertainty in love
The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman (May, 2012)
A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith