In contrast, Marianne Dashwood is the avatar of "sensibility." She is vibrant, musical, and utterly transparent with her feelings. Marianne views Elinor’s composure as coldness, believing that "to prune one’s expressions of feeling" is a form of dishonesty. Her whirlwind romance with the dashing John Willoughby is defined by an abandonment of propriety—she writes him private letters and visits his estate unchaperoned—placing her personal desires above the expectations of 18th-century society. The Consequences of Extremes
Elinor, too, finds balance. Upon learning that Edward is free from Lucy Steele, her emotional breakthrough—bursting into tears of joy—demonstrates that "sense" is not the absence of feeling, but the management of it. By the journey's end, Elinor has allowed herself to feel, and Marianne has learned to think. Conclusion Sense and Sensibility
Austen uses the sisters’ romantic failures to critique the extremes of their philosophies. Marianne’s unfiltered sensibility nearly destroys her. When Willoughby abandons her for a wealthy heiress, her grief is so indulgent that it leads to a life-threatening illness. Her refusal to exercise "sense" leaves her defenseless against the cruelties of a world driven by money and status. In contrast, Marianne Dashwood is the avatar of "sensibility
The Conflict of Head and Heart: A Study of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility The Consequences of Extremes Elinor, too, finds balance