Growth through suffering.
Posted by Arnessa on October 17, 1997 at 15:16:28:
In response to agreed and something darker, written by Sherry on October 17, 1997 at 10:38:35
] Agreed and something even darker can happen and that is the shattering of the soul when you think you have found the ideal man and lost him and along with him the very ideal of manhood you required in the first place. This might well kill you as it almost did Marianne.
That is so beautifully put, Lynne. It was a "shattering of the soul" for Marianne. But as they say, what does not kill you makes you stronger. JA rarely deals with that kind of suffering in the novels, which is part of what makes S&S so special.
As a fan of Dostoevsky (who does nothing but talk about suffering), I like to believe JA would have had a similar view. There is a cleansing in suffering which makes it something to be cherished in a way. Today, the culture teaches us shrink from situations that are likely to involve suffering (at least emotional suffering. physical punishment like lifting weights is very much in vogue) but in truth, that is the only way to grow. And Marianne did grow.
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