Chapter 45-end

While I, obviously, love Jane Austen, her endings are lacking. If I’m remembering correctly from my last reads, she does improve upon them in her later novels, but early on, they feel rushed. Like she has run out of steam to finish the book, so she speeds through with the bare minimum to, somewhat, satisfy readers. I’ll do my best not to do the same.

Elinor kicks Willoughby out, but no sooner is he gone than she starts to feel sorry for him. Ugh, Elinor! You held him to account before, why are you breaking down now? Just once could you not display the “perfect” response? Not feel sorry for someone who has made their own bed? I get it. He is charming and handsome and seems to (despite his previous actions) care for your sister. But he only shows remorse for his own gain! His parting words made that clear to me. If anything he had said prior was at all true, wanting assurance that he would still have a chance with Marianne if circumstances allowed wiped that out. He wants Marianne for his own happiness. He does not care about anyone or anything else.

Mrs. Dashwood and Colonel Brandon arrive at last, and Elinor is able to share the happy news that Marianne is on the mend. Mrs. Dashwood, privately, tells Elinor that Colonel Brandon has disclosed his love for Marianne during their journey from Barton. Mrs. Dashwood is all in. “There was always a something – if you remember – in Willoughby’s eyes at times, which I did not like.” She is convinced Marianne will be much happier with Colonel Brandon than she ever would have been with Willoughby. Elinor disagrees, and it concerned about how hearing Willoughby’s story will affect Marianne; afraid that after hearing it, Marianne truly won’t be happy with anyone else.

Marianne recovers fairly quickly and the Dashwoods finally, finally, leave for Barton. On their return, Marianne has decided she is going to live her life differently. Rising early, read more books for true study rather than only pleasure, practice the piano with new commitment, and walk the grounds regularly. Elinor joins her for one of her morning walks soon after their return and shares with Marianne the details of Willoughby’s visit to Cleveland. Marianne is not unaffected and only asks Elinor to share everything with their mother before she retires to her room. That evening, the three women sit together, and Marianne assures them both she, “[sees] everything as they desire [her] to do.” Willoughby’s story seems to have had the opposite effect that he had hoped. Marianne sees him more clearly than ever before and, while of course still disappointed and working through her past feelings for him, understands that she never would have been happy with him. And, perhaps, relating the story to her sister and mother has helped Elinor revisit her feelings about Willougby as well. She seems less inclined to give him any benefit of the doubt now than after he left Cleveland. “His own enjoyment, his own ease, was, in every particular, his ruling principle,” she states. “It is very true. My happiness never was his object,” Marianne agrees.

With Marianne now informed of Willoughby’s visit and making steady progress toward recovery, Elinor can’t help but wonder how Edward is faring. Her curiosity is cured quickly when one of their manservants returns from town with news that Mr. Ferrars is married. He had, in fact, run into the man himself and his lady. Lucy made sure that her disappointment in being unable to visit Barton at present was passed along, but also her assurances that they would visit in the future. Marianne descends into “hysterics” almost immediately, while Elinor goes pale. As usual, the violence of Marianne’s reaction spurs Mrs. Dashwood to attend to her first. But unusually, Elinor is not able to hide her emotions as well as she can ordinarily. She doesn’t eat and sits in silence with her mother for the remainder of the evening. Mrs. Dashwood realizes she has quite neglected her eldest daughter. She was led astray by Elinor’s calm and collected demeanor, not realizing just how attached to Edward she had been.

Of course Mrs. Dashwood could have been more observant of her daughter, but, for Elinor, I wish her to become more comfortable letting people in and recognizing emotions are not bad. In my previous job, I always had to keep a calm head and quickly respond to emergencies and non-emergent injuries alike. More often than not, the individual I was helping was highly distressed, as were most of the people around them. It was my job to keep everyone calm and handle the situation, regardless of how distressed I might have been at the time. That was the job. And I was good at it. Where I got into trouble, was continuing to take on this role elsewhere in my life. Somewhere along the line I decided that I would always be the calm one. I couldn’t show emotion or be upset when others were also upset, because we couldn’t all fall apart. Not to mention, my distress would add to theirs, and I absolutely didn’t want to upset anyone worse. While I have gotten better at expressing and recognizing my emotions, it remains very hard for me to do. I still don’t do it all the time. Small steps, I am a work in progress.

The ladies are expecting Colonel Bradon to arrive shortly, as Mrs. Dashwood has invited him for a visit. Imagine their surprise when the man on horseback approaching Barton is not Colonel Brandon, but Edward. Elinor steels herself before he comes through the door, “I will be calm; I will be mistress of myself.” After his awkward entry, during which Mrs. Dashwood wishes him joy, Marianne retreats as far as possible without leaving the room, and Elinor comments on the weather, poor Elinor bites the bullet and asks how “Mrs. Edward Ferrars” is faring. Edward turns colors and seems confused before saying, “Perhaps you mean – my brother – you mean Mrs. – Mrs. Robert Ferrars.” Marianne and Mrs. Dashwood exclaim their immediate confusion while Elinor can only sit in silence. Edward then confirms that his brother has married Miss Lucy Steele. Elinor, at long last, truly overcome with emotion, runs out of the room and bursts into tears as soon as she is safely behind the door. Edward leaves the house and walks outside.

How Edward and Elinor find each other after quitting the room and the details on how they come to be engaged are not shared. In fact, Austen writes, “…in what manner he expressed himself, and how he was received, need not be particularly told.” I disagree, Miss Austen, I disagree… However, we are made to understand just how incredibly happy both Elinor and Edward now are. And, say what you will of Lucy Steele, but she knew she had lost Edward’s affections and made the best of the situation. When she then saw him lose any fortune they were to have in addition to those affections, she followed the fortune to the other brother and encouraged his affections instead. Rather than Miss Morton not recognizing the difference in brothers, Miss Steele fulfills that role and, unfortunately, proves John Dashwood right. Colonel Bradon does eventually arrive at Barton and he and Edward become fast friends. Edward will still take the living at Delaford, and he is even somewhat forgiven by his mother. Edward and Elinor marry in the fall and live at Delaford with Colonel Bradon while renovations are made to the parsonage.

With Elinor and Edward settled at Delaford, frequent visits from the Dashwoods are encouraged both by the couple and Mrs. Dashwood. Why? Because it is all of their dearest wish to see Marianne and Colonel Brandon married next. I can’t help but feel weird about this outcome. The age difference is quite wide, but I can move past that. What bothers me most is throughout the book, and especially at the end, Marianne is made out to be Colonel Brandon’s “reward” for all that he has been through and how wonderful a person he is. And, I get that Marianne, having gone through what she did with Willoughby and re-evaluating her approach to life after her illness, might now see Colonel Brandon as a steady, reliable individual. But I just cannot reckon so large a change in her personality taking place to make this match work. I suppose there is something to say for proximity and peer pressure as well… Marianne and Colonel Bradon are married, and Austen assures readers that, “Marianne could never love by halves; and her whole heart became, in time, as much devoted to her husband, and it had once been to Willoughby.”

With both elder daughters settled at Delaford, Mrs. Dashwood and Margaret decide to remain at Barton – some space is good. And Sir John and Mrs. Jennings are grateful for their continued residency. Margaret is now of an age “highly suitable for dancing, and not very ineligible for being supposed to have a lover.”

This brings us to the end of Sense and Sensibility. I, of course, highly recommend you read the book yourself. However, if you are more inclined to watch rather than read, I recommend the 2008 Andrew Davies adaptation for the BBC Literary Collection. This is a mini-series, so, set aside about three hours or be ready to watch in segments. If you’d like a shorter adaptation, the 1995 movie directed by Ang Lee and starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman is a fantastic alternative.

Coming next: Pride and Prejudice