Jane Austen Quote of the Week - Week 115

I have chosen to honour Sense and Sensibility this week and the wonderful character of Elinor. In Chapter 24 Elinor has to listen to Lucy Steele talking of her love for Edward Ferrars.

"and Elinor sat down to the card-table with the melancholy persuasion that Edward was not only without affection for the person who was to be his wife; but that he had not even the chance of being tolerably happy in marriage, which sincere affection on her side would have given, for self-interest alone could induce a woman to keep a man to an engagement, of which she seemed so thoroughly aware that he was weary."

This week I have been in two conversations where I have been told 'you are such a romantic'. I left these conversations with a negative feeling about the fact that I live in the ideal world rather than the realistic one. After reflection I realised that it was not such a bad thing. I want to marry for love. I dont want to marry because maybe I, or the man I may marry, has a focus on self-interest alone and not happiness. I found that this quote inspired me. Elinor realises what is important. She is melancholy by the situation where a person will be committing to another in life-long marriage but leaving their heart behind with another. That still happens today and that makes me melancholy too.


Pic: Edward and Elinor