too negative
Written by Bridget D
(10/15/2009 4:14 a.m.)
in consequence of the missive, Most of the posters in this and related threads, penned by Anselm
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I find the assessment of Willoghby on this read rather too negative... IMHO. I think that JA intended us to see him as bad but not TOTALLY irreclaimably so. His faults are many, nad his good points few... but while he has faults so do the other characters. So do we all... While I feel that Austen meant us to see W as the villain she did not intend to exclude hsi victims such as Marianne and Eliza II from blame iether. yes Marianne was decieved and jilted by Willouhby, but after all a love affair that goes wrong is not an uncommon thing.. and most people do not have the time or possibly the inclination to indulge themsleves in fretting nad making themselves miserable the way that M did, to the point where she left herself vulnerable to illness nad made her family wretched. I've siad a good deal already as to my belief that Eliza was at least partly to blame ofr her misfortunes at Willoughby's hands which I wont repeat but I think that Elinor's measured appraisal of W which does not mean that she approves of him indicates that this is Austen's more balanced nuanced view of his character
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