I'm sorry, but I can find no pity in my heart for Willoughby except perhaps that his upbringing was not as it aught to have been. Here are my reasonings:

According to JA, through W.'s own words, he intented to flirt as much as possible with Marianne for his own amusment, and cared not whether or not he injured her. unfortunatly, he fell in love with her instead (or something like that).

The now famous story about Eliza.

He married a woman for her money and continued to pine after another which is disgusting beyond words.

He constanly tormented and ridiculed Col. Brandon (and encouraged Marianne to do so) though the Col. is more of a man than W. could ever pretend to be.

He was a spindthrift and cared nothing for the feelings of other people, using everyone for his own pleasure.

He brought out the very worse in Marianne and encouraged her in all her wrong behavior.

After he left Marianne, he did not tell her (until his fiancee made him) that he was to marry another, though he had ample oppertunity.

The man is slime and there's the end to it.

]ut on the other hand, I wonder if love would be enough for them, because no matter how much Marianne may have loved him, he is not necessarily deserving of her, considering her sterling past and his wrong one. So, whatever input you all may have regarding this, please say. It should very interesting!

Are you speaking of Willoughby here or of the Col.?