Established in Disastrous Love

"His manly beauty and more than common gracefulness were instantly the theme of general admiration, and the laugh which his gallantry raised against Marianne received particular spirit from his exterior attractions.... His person and air were equal to what her fancy had ever drawn for the hero of a favourite story; and in his carrying her into the house with so little previous formality, there was a rapidity of thought which particularly recommended the action to her. Every circumstance belonging to him was interesting. His name was good, his residence was in their favourite village, and she soon found out that of all manly dresses a shooting-jacket was the most becoming. Her imagination was busy, her reflections were pleasant, and the pain of a sprained ankle was disregarded." Sense and Sensibility Chapter 9

This narrative occurs about halfway through Chapter 9, and follows Marianne and Willoughby's first meeting. I do not think that I previously had a full appreciation for the youthfulness of Marianne's character. At this point in the novel she is about 16 1/2 to 17 years old. Goodness, how young! Now that I read this part of the novel again, I am not sure that I agree with the interpretation of Marianne that is seen in the movie adaptations of this book. In most of the movies, she is young and has an air of youthful snobbery. Both the book and the movies show that she is immature and prone to be led by feelings rather than rational thought and propriety. The movies show a young adult women with a slightly rebellious spirit. However, the original Marianne of Jane Austen's imagination has less snobbery and more blissful ignorance.

The Marianne of the novel has a wild imagination, and shows very few signs of adulthood. This can been seen in this quotation from Chapter 11. "The whole story would have been speedily formed under her active imagination; and every thing established in the most melancholy order of disastrous love." This imagination and immaturity that I see through this part of the novel show me a teenager, and not an adult. She has solid opinions of love, but, as Elinor points out, without experience to back them up. She bases her decision to love men on their ability to read poetry, "and she soon found out that of all manly dresses a shooting-jacket was the most becoming." (Chapter 9) This sounds like a teenager to me. This is the modern day equivalent of a girl saying, "I like him best when he wears his tuxedo/soccer uniform/etc."

It appears that Elinor's desire for Marianne to enter into, "a better acquaintance with the world," (Chapter 11) is not unmerited. And with this realization of Marianne's youthfulness I have realized something else; the character of Colonel Brandon becomes all the more wonderful because he sees something important and special in Marianne during this ridiculous and formative time of her existence.