Sense and Sensibility · Chapter
XXXI explained
Marianne awakens to continued misery over Willoughby, oscillating between belief in his innocence and despair.
What happens
Marianne awakens to continued misery over Willoughby, oscillating between belief in his innocence and despair. Elinor tries to counsel her, but Marianne's judgment of Mrs. Jennings is harsh and unfair. Mrs. Jennings brings a letter from Mrs. Dashwood, which only deepens Marianne's pain by reaffirming her mother's mistaken confidence in Willoughby. Colonel Brandon visits and, after Elinor's encouragement, begins to reveal the story of his past love for Eliza, a woman who suffered a tragic fate similar to Marianne's.
Themes in this chapter
Romantic Idealism vs. Reality
Marianne's idealized vision of Willoughby is shattered, yet she still clings to hope; Colonel Brandon's tragic past with Eliza mirrors the harsh reality that can follow romantic passion.
Female Agency and Constraint
Eliza's story illustrates the lack of agency for women, forced into marriage and then abandoned to ruin, while Marianne is constrained by social expectations and her own emotions.
Deception and Appearance
Marianne misjudges Mrs. Jennings's kindness as mere gossip, and Colonel Brandon's quiet demeanor hides a deep, painful history—appearances are deceptive.
Characters to notice
- Marianne Dashwood
Awakes to misery, fluctuates between hope and despair over Willoughby, harshly judges Mrs. Jennings, and is devastated by her mother's letter.
- Elinor Dashwood
Provides steady counsel to Marianne, writes to their mother about Willoughby's rejection, and listens to Colonel Brandon's painful history.
- Mrs. Jennings
Brings a letter from Mrs. Dashwood with good intentions, but her cheerful manner is misinterpreted by Marianne as cruelty.
- Colonel Brandon
Visits Elinor alone to share the story of his lost love Eliza, drawing parallels to Marianne's situation.
- Mrs. Dashwood
Her letter to Marianne expresses continued confidence in Willoughby, causing Marianne further anguish.
Key passages
“She expected from other people the same opinions and feelings as her own, and she judged of their motives by the immediate effect of their actions on herself.”
Marianne assumed others thought and felt exactly as she did, and she evaluated their intentions solely based on how their actions impacted her personally.
Narrator's commentary on Marianne's lack of objectivity and self-centered judgment.
“The work of one moment was destroyed by the next. The hand writing of her mother, never till then unwelcome, was before her; and, 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.”
In an instant, Marianne's fantasy of a letter from Willoughby was shattered when she saw it was actually from her mother, and the crushing disappointment made her feel as if she had never truly known pain before.
Marianne's intense emotional reaction to the letdown of receiving a letter from her mother instead of Willoughby.
“A man who has nothing to do with his own time has no conscience in his intrusion on that of others.”
A person with too much free time feels no guilt about imposing on other people's time.
Marianne's dismissive remark about Colonel Brandon, reflecting her prejudice against him.