] Marianne's such a self-involved teenager!

That's the thing that bothers me about S&S and makes me sympathize with Marianne: she is so obviously a TEENAGER, and in no way ready for marriage, even for that time period, yet everybody behaves as though she should be, and judges her by the standards of a grown woman! To me, it's a little like being angry with a five-year-old for not having the self-control of an eight-year-old. What she really needs is somebody (preferably her mother) to make it clear in a matter-of-fact way that there's no chance of her getting married for *at least* four more years, and do everything they can to allow and encourage her to grow up and learn a bit more about the world in the meantime! (Of course, knowing her mother, that's not going to happen.)

Yes, Marianne has some serious faults (especially writing off everybody over 27!), and she'll probably always value sensibility more than Elinor, but with most young people, the simple passage of time would bring considerable improvement. (Of course, my certainty falters a little when I think of Mrs. Dashwood...)

A problem specific to that period, of course, is that while Marianne is not ready for marriage, she certainly *is* ready to fall in love, but for a respectable woman of that time and place, a love affair must always lead to marriage, whether that's the best for both parties or not. (Reasons to reflect on the advantages of living here and now instead of then!)