Posted by Helen on August 19, 1997 at 06:11:31:
In reply to Re: Jane Austen -- Elinor or Marianne? posted by The Mysterious H.C. on August 18, 1997 at 23:30:55
]
]
] To start the ball rolling...do you think Jane Austen liked Elinor or Marianne better? Elinor seems to be the more rational creature, but I think Marianne has more fun.
Sarah, Jane Austen's eldest brother James wrote a poem on this very subject... Go to http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/othpoems.html#jamespoem
Thanks for this link! I quote:
Fair Elinor's self in that Mind is exprest,
And the feelings of Marianne live in that Breast.
I kind of feel that the feelings of Marianne live in Elinor's breast as well, she just doesn't want to give way to them so much. And this is not always a good thing: as someone said in another post on this board, she has to endure pain because she doesn't want to come out and say "look! I have feelings on this subject!" Emma Thompson really brought out this aspect of Elinor in her film - and the hysterics she finally gives way to are a result of all that repressed emotion. (I haven't checked how much of that is in the book, but I do remember that it is *Marianne* who utters a repressed scream at one point).
Maybe I'm exaggerating this aspect of her character, but that's because unlike Amy and Arnessa, I feel like an Elinor most of the time - one who would certainly feels like Marianne, and would love to be able to behave like her but feels the weight of social obligations/conventions preventing her.
Helen
Helen
Posting followups to old messages is disabled; instead go to the main index and post a new message which mentions this one.