Search results
She and Brandon tried to elope but were caught. Unhappy in her marriage, her life took a downward turn while Brandon served in the army abroad. She was seduced by numerous men, divorced Brandon’s brother, and ended up confined to a house because of debt.
Eliza Williams is the ward of Colonel Brandon, though many people (Mrs. Jennings included) believe her to be his illegitimate child; however, she is in truth the illegitimate daughter of Brandon's cousin, also named Eliza, and her seducer.
Linda Robinson Walker argues that Hastings "haunts Sense and Sensibility in the character of Colonel Brandon": both left for India at the age of seventeen; Hastings may have had an illegitimate daughter named Eliza; both Hastings and Brandon participated in a duel.
The opening episode of Sense and Sensibility features the moment Willoughby seduces Eliza, who is still a schoolgirl.
Brandon left the country for three years to serve in the army. When he returned, he tried to find Eliza, who had divorced his brother, been seduced by several men, and was in a desperate situation. He finally found her in a house where she was confined for debt, as she was dying of consumption.
In this chapter, Jane Austen makes use of one of the conventions seen commonly in the novels of that period — the inset story. The story of the young woman ruined by a ruthless young man was always popular. The seduction usually happened at a seaside resort, as here, in Bath.
While Elinor exemplifies sense, Marianne epitomizes sensibility. The middle Dashwood sister, she is romantic, emotional, and sentimental. She often lacks the restraint, prudence, and politeness of her older sister Elinor. She falls in love easily… read analysis of Marianne Dashwood.
