I think Anne's argument (that men are equal to women with regard to every important exertion and to every domestic forbearance, ONLY so long as the women they love live and live for them) has a grain of truth in it. Case in point: CW himself.

I believe CW when he says he's loved no one else but Anne and that he's always remained constant. I *know* :P he's continuously loved her for 8 1/2 long years. But as we know, when the going got tough in the year six, he lost faith in her, and when opportunity knocked at his door in the year eight, he ignored it. Not much forbearance or exertion, I think, when he thought the woman he loved no longer lived for him.

Ah, but no, don't take this the wrong way, my perception of CW is no way sullied. :) CW's very human flaws, Anne did forgive and understand.

But objectively speaking, I think Anne had the last word in her debate with Captain Harville. It may be bad, or rather, sad morality to conclude with, hm, but I don't know.