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More Will and Drabble


 Posted by Cassandra on August 01, 1998 at 15:38:47:


In response to Willoughby insists on being heard, written by Barbara on August 01, 1998 at 14:07:36


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  ]  Elinor could not really be blamed for doing whatever she could to get rid of Willoughby, even if that meant listening to him so he would leave
I agree that Elinor is very aware of the "scene" should Brandon come and find Will. And Will does insist on being heard(his to the devil speech regarding the Palmers makes that clear!), but Elinor is also very interested in hearing him. In the beginning, she talks of her curiosity being engaged and even when she tries to be harsh, her "voice, in spite of herself"  betrays her compassion. Will confuses her emotions, she is afraid that Brandon will come-but he can't be ignored. His very presence and magnetism, riding in the rain, refuse indifference.
The Will confession scene is one of my favorite of all JA passages and as Barb said it's unique, dramatic, passionate, (very much like JW himself!) revealing so much about WIll as well as Elinor.
With respect to Will, I agree very much with Drabble-Will is  more three dimensional than a Wickham. If he's not fully redeemed, it's difficult to argue that Will did not love MArianne. Why else would he show up, riding in the rain? The Will magnetism, his love, albeit selfish love, for Marianne really shine through there; and like Elinor, I find myself under his spell, wishing for a dizzy moment that he were a widower and could marry Marianne. Only to recall ,like Elinor, in my sober moments that Brandon is the better, more deserving man. Still..."to have resisted such attractions, to have withstood such tenderness! Is there a WWW on earth who could have done it!"
I'm also an admirer of the Will confession scene for the insight it gives of Elinor. After WIll leaves, "sensible" Elinor finds herself acting almost Mariannesque, almost swooning over the maddening enigma that is Willoughby. For a long time after his carriage died away-she is thinking only of Will , not even her sister: "By that person of uncommon attraction....she felt that it was so, long, long before she could feel his influence less."
Elinor reacts the way many of have reacted after reading the Will confession scene. Interestingly, when Mrs Dashwood rewrites her own history and asserts that Marianne would never have been as happy with Will as she will be with Brandon, Elinor "could not quite agree with  her, but her dissent was not heard and therefore gave no offense." Brandon is the better man, but Will's magnetism and influence cannot be denied.
Any thoughts?





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