Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Janne Austen, which follows the story of the three Dashwood sisters and their widowed mother. At the novel's start, the Dashwood sisters and their mother are kicked out of their estate by their half-brother. The sisters flee to a relative’s home to survive. Elinor, the eldest daughter starts talking to Edward Ferras, and eventually, she falls in love with him—however, Mr. Ferras’ sister, Mrs. Dashwood, frowns upon their love for the reason that Elinor is from neither a rich family nor one of high status. Marianne, the second eldest daughter, ends up falling in love with Willoughby under the pretext that they share many of the same interests. However, Colonel Branden was also attracted to Marianne at first sight, but she decided that he did not match her tastes and interests. Marianne had a specific way of thinking that was different from others in her time period on love and marriage.
Marianne's way of thinking is similar to many in modern society, despite that, her love life was as good as others in her time period. While many women were unhappy with the marriages that they were forced to take part in, some were happy with the husbands that they were forced to have. Marianne however believed that marriage should be based on love and interests in the same topics. This is proven when both Marianne and Willoughby talk about things that they are both interested in. They both have similar interests in literature, music, Shakespeare, etc. However, even though her way of thinking is that if she were to love someone who enjoys the same things as her, she would be able to enjoy their time talking about that particular thing. Despite that, the opposite occurs because once they are done talking about their similarities, there will be nothing more to talk about. Unless, they move on to talk about their differences, but they fall in love with each other because of their similarities.
Marianne is shown to be emotional and enjoys letting others see whatever emotions she's feeling. This results in her love being rooted in pure love and passion. This is proven by her relationship with Willoughby where they both share the same thoughts and ideals. However, the relationship is quick to end when it is proven that Willoughby is fickle and does not deserve Marianne’s love and trust. Which is when he marries a rich woman to live a wealthy lifestyle. This immediately highlights how he does not care for pure or true love and only enjoys what will make him feel good. This experience then forces Marianne to reconsider what she believes is good or important in a relationship. Along with reevaluating what she considers as important, she is now forced to conform to a little bit of the societal expectations during the time period. She realizes how important it is for her to consider the economic status of a man before falling head over heels with him.
Through Marianne's many experiences with Willoughby, her love theory changes when she meets and later marries Colonel Brandon. After her break up with Willoughby, Marianne realizes that her love pales in comparison to her elder sister’s love, Elinor. Marianne also realizes how much grief and pain her sister had shouldered on her own, unlike herself who weeps over Willoughby even after he leaves to marry Mrs. Grey. Marianne later realizes that she would rather have a love where they might not share the same interests but at least they both enjoyed each other's company and were able to bring out the best in each other. Through her relationship with Colonel Brandon, a man of integrity, Marianne discovers the enduring power of quiet love and companionship. Colonel Brandon’s love is vastly different from Willougby’s love. Willougby was very open and talked to Marianne about many similar topics, however, both of them were not suited for each other as they only brought out the worst in the other. Colonel Brandon however provides not only love and comfort but also proves that he is able Marianne happy, even if they don’t share many of the same interests. This forces Marianne to reevaluate what she deems as important for love to make you happy and they want to spend the rest of their life with them.
In conclusion, Marianne Dashwood's journey in Sense and Sensibility is an exploration of love, societal expectations, and personal growth. As the novel progresses, Marianne's idealistic approach to love is rooted in passion, shared interests, and emotional authenticity. Despite her belief in love which is different from societal expectations, Marianne's love with Willoughby leads to heartbreak and starts reevaluating her love theory. Marianne's rejection of Colonel Brandon, based on a perceived lack of shared interests, proves her love theory centered on shared interests. However, her experiences with Willoughby allow her to grow, forcing her to reconsider the importance of constancy, loyalty, and quiet companionship in a lasting relationship. Marianne's realization that genuine love does not have to be only shared interests and her marriage to Colonel Brandon prove how much she has grown and changed after her ending with Willoughby. Despite her initial adherence to romantic ideals and rejection of societal norms, Marianne's experiences lead her to a deeper understanding of real love's qualities and realities proven through Colonel Brandon.
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