Willoughby vs Colonel Brandon

In Sense and Sensibility two very different men fall in love with the same woman, the young and attractive Marianne Dashwood. She is the typical naive lady who has not been exposed to the turmoils of life and is ready to fall in love with her entire heart as if she were the romantic heroine of the novel in which she is featured. She compares true passion with Guinevere, Juliet, or Eloise. The choice she is faced with seems no choice at all.

Colonel Brandon is reserved, dignified and loyal. He first meets Marianne at the moment she is singing at the piano forte; he falls in love. As he is over 35 years old, however, Marianne sees him as too old for love and does not consider him a real suitor even though his affection for her is clear. He remains a kind and helpful friend to her and her family through it all.

John Willoughby, on the other hand, is young and dashing. He is in the neighborhood visiting a wealthy relative and sweeps Ms. Marianne off her feet with his good looks, knowledge of poetry, brash open behavior of affection.

Impetuous and enthralled Marianne falls instantaneously for John Willoughby.

In a surprising turn of events, Willoughby does not become engaged to Marianne, but turns and gets engaged to a wealthy Ms. Grey. He deserts his love of Marianne for the security of money that he does not have. With this change Marianne is devastated. Reduced to a broken heart, Marianne returns to the country.

Unable to let go of her affection for Willoughby, Colonel Brandon comes forth to give Marianne a clearer perspective of him. He explained his own tragic history of loving a young lady who had been to poor to be approved by his family. His love, Eliza, eventually became a "fallen woman." In the last moments of her life she bore a child named Beth whom she leaves in the charge of Colonel Brandon. This young lady follows after the reckless lifestyle of others and ends up the deplorable and misused woman of Willoughby. She is left alone and pregnant.

Understanding the true position of the man she loved and obtaining an entirely new perspective of Colonel Brandon in his tragic romance, Marianne must reexamine her life and romantic sensibilities.

Marianne becomes life-threateningly ill and is rescued by Colonel Brandon. As she is on the mend, he is her constant and unfailingly kind attendant. He finds a position for Edward, the love of her older sister, and finds a way of rekindling Marianne's love of literature and music.

In her new situation, Marianne learns to find a great respect and affection for Colonel Brandon and with such a wonderful start to a relationship the are married. Love with her whole heart is not long in coming.

May I now present to all the woman of the world a noble truth. The best of relationships that stand the test of time and the unavoidable struggles of life are those not based on passion or polite affection, but on honest and deep friendship. There is nothing so intoxicating or stable than a true friend who becomes a true spouse. May we learn without our own hearts being broken of the infinite wisdom that has been presented to us by one of the greatest authors of all time, Ms. Jane Austen.