Good gracious. Can you believe it? I have to say I was in shock when Elinor found out about Edward but then Marianne to find the same thing out about Mr. Willoughby, craziness. If was I was Elinor and had been walking with Lucy, an acquaintance, and found out she was engaged to the man I loved I think I would freak out. There is no way I would be able to remain as calm as she did. I don't think I would have done very well if I lived back then they have way too many manners and are way to proper for my taste.
If I was Elinor I would have asked Marianne what was going on with Mr. Willoughby far before this all came out. I would also be fairly annoyed to have to deal with Colonel Brandon and his wounded heart. It seems so weird how attached he became to Marianne when she gave him no reason for him to think she may even like him a little.
It seems so strange to me that people back then got into an engagement and it was pretty much a done deal. Engagement is viewed so differently today than it was back then. Today people get in and out of engagements all the time without much thought. Back then it appears impossible to get out of one.
I think Edward could very much partially be so upset because he wants to be with Elinor and not with Lucy. I guess we will see in the next chapters.
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1 comment:
I agree Ash, I would have freaked out as well if I was Elinor and Lucy told me about her engagement to the man I love!
What I don't understand is why Elinor had to write her mother for approval to ask Marianne what was going on with her and Willoughby, good grief, just ask your sister yourself! She's right in front of you! And the nerve of him to say he never really had any affection for Marianne and he didn't mean to mislead her, palease! But then again, in my own experience men can be fairly misleading, but maybe also clueless as to how their actions are being perceived by the woman?
Poor Colonel Brandon, Marianne won't even give him the time of day, and yet his love continues to grow for her. Maybe Elinor and the Colonel should get together instead, they have great communication...
In the first week I related more with Elinor, but this week I see myself more in Marianne's shoes, expressing my emotion when I can't hold it in and not faking sentiments or politeness when I don't feel that way, instead I would rather be silent than fake. (At one point it mentions Marianne remaining silent because "it was impossible for her to say what she did not feel, however trivial the occasion; and upon Elinor therefore the whole task of telling lies when politeness required it, always fell" ). I think there is definitely a difference between geniune politeness and politically correctness (or trying to impress) without being real.
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