In threads below we've been discussing what Willoughby said to Elinor and her reaction to it.

Here, I wanted to talk about the two confession scenes in this novel. There are no other scenes in Jane Austen's writing where a man makes a long face-to-face 'confession' to a woman about his past. Poor Elinor has to experience this twice, both from men involved in one way or another with her sister!

One thing I think is interesting is the kind of information our 19-year-old heroine is put in the position of hearing: an elopment, a duel, children born out of wedlock, pre- and extra-marital liaisons and affairs, a man whose 'pleasures are not what they ought to have been', family treachery, an account of a self-confessed libertine who plays games with young women's affections for fun, hatred for one's spouse, wishing one's spouse dead--even, and it pains me to say it--Colonel Brandon wishing Eliza Sr. had died rather than overcome her regrets of him and sink 'deeper into a life of sin'.

It's very strong stuff--particularly when earlier in the story, Mrs. Jennnings did not want to speak of the colonel's supposed illegitimate daughter for fear of shocking the young ladies present.